October 21, 2020
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Field trials were conducted between 1996 and 1999 to evaluate the effects of time and different methods of forcing on citrus budlings production. The purpose was to reduce the nursery period and also increase the production of citrus budlings. The forcing time were 1. No forcing. 2. Forcing immediately. 3. One week. 4. Two weeks. 5. Three weeks. 6. Four weeks. 7. Five weeks and 8. Six weeks after budding. While the different methods of forcing included 1. Bending 2. Lopping and 3.Complete cutting back. The experimental analysis involved analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results showed that time of forcing affected percentage budsurvival. Five and six weeks forcing periods were significantly superior to forcing immediately after budding. There were interactions between forcing period and method of forcing for five weeks forcing period and bending method to produce significant effect on percentage bud survival over other interaction combinations. Observation on the later growth revealed that forcing three weeks and above increase scion number of leaves, while four and five weeks of forcing improved scion length budlings. Bending method of forcing had better groeth attributes in number of leaves, scion length and diameter than the rest forcing methods. Twenty-four weeks after budding, bending forcing method had 41.6cm scion length, a value more than the minimum 40cm recommended for citrus budling field planting. There were interactions between four weeks forcing period and bending method. Also five weeks forcing period combined with cutting back forcing method had significant values on scion length. In this study five weeks period of forcing increased percentage seedlings survival, while this same treatment and four weeks forcing period reduced the nursery period of budling production. Bending method of forcing was the best for improving bud survival and growth of citrus budlings.