Studies on plant multiplication of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus - indica Mill.)

摘要

Four exotic strains of prickly pear 1270, 1271, 1280 and 1287 were studied for plant multiplication at NRCAF. Jhansi in shallow gravelly red soils. Cladodes of mother plants were cut into 2, 4, 6 and 8 pieces such that each piece contained undamagedmargin. The pieces were suberized for 25 days and planted on raised bunds. It was observed that all four strains could be successfully regenerated by planting even 1/8th piece of mother cladode. Except, 1287, which is a thorny strain, all others registered 79.2 to 83.3 percent multiplication success. Multiplication success reduced and delayed with reduction in size of planting material. Further, number and size of new emerging cladodes on mother plants decreased with reduction in size of planting material in all four strains. The tendency of mother cladode to produce more than one cladode reduced with reduction in size of planting material. However, in 1287 strain, it remained un-effected by size of planting material.