Effect of time of budding and growing conditions on budding success and growth of buddlings of Kinnow mandarin.

Experiment was conducted during 2001–2002 in the College Orchard, Department of Horticulture, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Rough lemon (Citrus jambhiri Lush) seedlings were transplanted in 14” x, 8.5” size, 250 gauze black polythene bags during April, 2001. One set of the seedlings was placed in screen house, whereas, another set was placed in the open field conditions. Total 75 rootstock seedlings (25 in three replications) in screen house, with similar number of rootstock seedlings in open field were budded (T or shield budding) at the height of 20 cm from ground level, on every date starting from 1^st August 2001 to 1^st March, 2002. Budding success, sprout length, stem diameter and number of leaves of bud sprout were maximum in case of seedlings grown under screen house conditions than in open field conditions on each date of observation. Mean budding success (74.03 per cent), length of bud sprout (54.00 cm), stem diameter of bud sprout (11.61mm) and number of leaves (68.67) were found significantly higher under screen house as compared to the open field conditions, where these were recorded as 66.93 per cent, 44.63 cm, 9.90 mm and 57.73, respectively.