Production of Creole cocoa plants (Theobroma cacao L.), using two grafting techniques with modifications and their effect on the success of the nursery phase

Abstract

Aiming to evaluate two grafting techniques in cocoa and their modifications, an investigation was carried out in the nursery of the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences of the University of El Salvador, from July to December 2013. For the execution of the experiment, He used a completely randomized statistical design, evaluating the lateral plating graft, terminal spike and modifications of both. The modifications consisted of the use of Parafilm®, plastic bag and complete mooring as a mummy, generating a total of seven treatments and four repetitions; The experimental unit was constituted by 10 units, totaling 280 cocoa plants. The variables evaluated were: percentage of yield, increase in plant height, increase in stem diameter, number of leaves, number of shoots, leaf area, fresh leaf weight, dry leaf weight, specific leaf weight (PEH), days of development (GDD) and cost benefit ratio of the production of the plants. As a result, it was found that the greatest success of graft seizure was in the treatment of terminal spike with half wrap plus bag (T₄), followed by side plating with half wrap plus bag (T₂), being the side veneered control with half wrap without bag (T₁) with the least success. With respect to the costs, it was shown that side plating with half wrap plus poly bag (T₂) and terminal barbed wrapped in half plus poly bag (T₄) are the ones that presented the lowest cost. Finally, nurserymen are recommended to use these latest treatments.