The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the plastic and degradable tape on budding efficiency and scion development of citrus in nursery under screenhouse. Certificated 6-8 mm buds of the cultivars navel orange 'Navelina' (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck), mandarin 'Marisol' (C. reticulata Blanco) and the hybrid 'Nova' [C. clementina x (C. paradisi x C. tangerina) ] were budded on 10 months rangpur lime (C. limonia Osbeck), in February 2003. The buds were attached to the rootstocks using either one of two types of tape: plastic polyethylene transparent tape and parafilm degradable tape. The experimental design was a factorial entirely randomized with 3 cultivars, 2 tape types and four replications, and ten plants per plot. The average budding efficiency was high (99,6%), as consequence of adequate proper budding conditions. There was no effect of the tape type and of the cultivar on budding efficiency. There was also no effect of the cultivar on shoot development. However, shoot development was sensibly higher, when grafter was tied with degradable tape than with plastic one.
rangpur lime; Marisol; Navelina; Nova; propagation; screenhouse
