Advances in Plum Propagation and Nursery Management

Abstract

Fruit production is one of the major income-generating activities in the world. From pome fruits to stone fruits, the cultivation of fruit crops has been made possible due to the development of various techniques of propagation. Plum being one of the important stone fruits cultivated in both the temperate and subtropical regions is multiplied by a number Of propagation methods. Plums can be propagated by seeds, grafting and budding techniques, as well as by tissue culture methods. The main purpose of any propagation technique is the production of superior quality planting material, which acts as the backbone of the fruit-production industry. Micropropagation techniques in plum is one of the novel propagation techniques for the production of disease-free planting material, which can help to prevent the spread of disease in nurseries as well as in plum orchards. To meet the increasing demand of plum, it is important to produce good-quality planting material in large quantities, for which nursery management and the standardization of a propagation technique is a must. The method of propagation and nursery-management activities in turn decide the production and productivity of plum. More research is required on plum propagation methods to obtain quality plants that can be used as the parents for the purpose of grafting and budding. The focus should be on in vitro plum propagation methods for the purpose of reducing its juvenile period and breeding time.