Pengaruh Persentase Naungan Batang Bawah dan Panjang Entres terhadap Pertambahan Tinggi Bibit Alpukat (Persea americana Mill.) melalui Teknik Sambung Pucuk

Abstrak

Top grafting is one of the most effective vegetative propagation methods for avocado (Persea americana Mill.), yet seedling quality depends heavily on rootstock preparation and scion management. This study investigated the effect of rootstock shading percentage and scion length on plant height increment of avocado seedlings propagated through top grafting. The experiment was conducted in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, from July to November 2024, using a 3×3 factorial Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The first factor was shading percentage applied to rootstocks for 15 days prior to grafting (0%, 50%, and 100%), and the second factor was scion length (3 cm, 6 cm, and 9 cm). Plant height increment was observed at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after grafting (WAG). Results showed that rootstock shading significantly affected plant height increment at all observation periods. The 100% shading treatment consistently produced the greatest height increment (7.50 cm at 8 WAG), while 50% shading achieved comparable results at 6 and 8 WAG (7.15 cm). Scion length had a significant effect only at 8 WAG, with the 3 cm scion yielding the greatest height increment (7.40 cm), differing significantly from the 6 cm (6.74 cm) and 9 cm (6.28 cm) scions. No significant interaction was detected between the two factors.