Vol. 9, Special Issue 10, Part S (2025)

A comparative study was undertaken to evaluate the bud take success and early growth characteristics of six sweet orange varieties budded onto rough lemon rootstock. The varieties tested includes T₁-Pera, T₂-Sathgudi, T₃-Mosambi, T₄-Anantapur Local, T₅-Nallimpalli Local and T₆-BARI 1 arranged in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Key parameters assessed were Days taken to bud sprout, budding success percentage (%), Height of the budded plant (cm), Root length (cm), Fresh weight of the root (g), Fresh weight of the shoot (g), Dry weight of the root (g), Dry weight of the shoot (g) reflecting the compatibility and early vigor of the scion-rootstock combinations. Results showed that T₂-Sathgudi demonstrated the highest budding success and rapid bud sprouting coupled with superior early growth traits across all parameters. Conversely, T₁ exhibited the lowest with delayed performance and reduced growth measures. These findings highlighted significant varietal differences affecting budding success and early development, aligning with prior studies emphasizing rootstock-scion compatibility as critical for successful propagation. The superior performance of Sathgudi on Rough lemon rootstock suggests its potential preference for nursery and commercial planting programs aiming for efficient establishment and vigor in early growth phases. This research provides empirical basis for varietal selection prioritizing early bud success and vigor on rough lemon rootstock to optimize citrus nursery production.