Division of Fruits and Horticultural Technology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012
* Present address: Scientist (Horticulture), Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture Regional Station, Mukteshwar, District Nainital 263 138
Stock and scion compatibility studies were canducted in ber cultivars Banarasi Karaka, Ponda and Gola with 3 rootstocks, viz. Jhar ber (Z. nummularia), Z. mauritiana ecotype-291 and Z. mauritiana ecotype-Assam Gauhati. The root-stock Jhar ber showed incompatibility with inverted bottleneck symptoms budded with Gola cultivar. The all other combinations were compatible with perfect union. The budding success was significantly lesser on rootstock Jhar ber. The histological studies of incompatibility is mainly due to absence of callus production between the stock and scion which resulted into wide gap in weak and unhealthy plants. There was excessive callus production but no proper formation of union because of lack of differentiation into cambium, phloem degeneration of scion and formation of a thick necrotic layer between the stock and scion which might resulted into the formation of inverted bottleneck symptoms in the later years of the tree growth.
