Funded by European Union

Mango ©Sammy Carsan\World Agroforestry (ICRAF)

grafting
booklet
(Mangifera indica L.) A step-by-step guide
 Funded by European Union

© 2020 World Agrofrestry (ICRAF)

This booklet has been prepared by the Tree Productivity and Diversity Theme
of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Nairobi Kenya with inputs from Erick
Ngethe, Valentine Gitonga, Agnes Gachuiri, Sammy Carsan, Katja Kehlenbeck
and Stepha McMullin. This manual was developed through the Food Trees
project, funded by EC/IFAD.

This version has been reproduced through the Reversing Land Degradation
by Scaling up Evergreen Agriculture (Regreening Africa) project funded by the
European Union.

Disclaimer:
The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and can
in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.

Citation:
Eric Ngethe, Valentine Gitonga, Agnes Gachuiri, Sammy Carsan, Katja
Kehlenbeck and Stepha McMullin (2020) Mango grafting booklet- A step-by-step
guide. World Agroforestry ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya. 16pp.

ISBN: 978-9966-108-33-3

2 Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.)

Introduction
Grafting is a rapid vegetative propagation technique used to multiply plants
identical to the desired parent tree. Propagation is the process of raising new
plants from a variety of sources: seeds, cuttings, bulbs and other plant parts.

Grafted mango trees take a shorter time to start flowering and produce
fruits. More trees can be accommodated per unit of land as trees grafted on
a dwarfing rootstock grow less vigorously. Given the many mango varieties
available, farmers have good opportunities to graft desired varieties with
great market and domestic consumption potential.

Plant grafting principles

• Involves joining or uniting two separate woody parts of a living plant
tissue from different trees or plants to form one plant.
• Parts used in grafting: A scion, refers to the bud or piece of stem that is
to be attached to the rootstock. Rootstock refers to the seedling or tree
upon which a scion is to be attached. Materials selected as scions should
be taken from terminals buds (end of a branch) of a tree or plant, at the
‘tight bud stage’ or before a new flush with buds which are swollen but
have not opened.

There are several grafting methods which differ depending on how the scion
is attached to the rootstock. These grafting methods are top/wedge whip/
tongue and side/Veneer. Usually, mango seedlings are grafted using top/
wedge grafting method.

Mango scions

Side/
veneer
grafting
Mango rootstock

Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.) 3

 Step-by-step guide to grafting
STEP

1 Prepare your propagation tools and materials

Required tools and materials:

• Pruning scissors, scalpel or grafting knife.
• Grafting tape or soft clear polythene bag cut in strips. The ideal material
for covering should be a clear polythene strip that is water-proof and
flexible.
• Sterilizer such as spirit, but other alternatives could be used including
rubbing isopropyl (alcohol - although it evaporates quite easily) or
household bleach prepared by mixing one part with nine parts of water
by volume (this bleach can be highly corrosive on certain metals).
• Plastic bag to collect scion, a wet newspaper or cooler box (optional).

Steriliser

Grafting knife

Pruning scissors

Polythene strip Scalpel

All grafting tools should be thoroughly sterilized before each

grafting activity to avoid infecting plants with diseases

4 Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.)

 STEP

2 Select the rootstock

A good rootstock is very important for future production of high quality

mango fruits. The rootstock provides the rooting system and part of the
stem of the future mango tree.

Select the rootstock based on these criteria:

• Suitable varieties; best are ‘Peach’ and ‘Sabre’ varieties, but if not
available select a seedling from a local mango tree that grows well in your
area.
• Healthy, strong and free of pests.
• About 6 months old (which should be at least 25 cm tall) with a stem as
thick as a pencil.

Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.) 5

 STEP

3 Cut the scions

It is very important to get quality scions for grafting, as this will develop into
the productive crown of your future mango tree.

To get quality scions follow these steps:

• Identify a highly productive, healthy mother tree of the desired variety and
quality.
• Select scions from the end of the branches which are as thick as a pencil
and have an active, healthy terminal bud.
• Cut the scion at 10 cm length by use of a pruning scissors, secateurs or
a very sharp knife.
• Remove the leaves from the scion using a clean sharp knife or secateurs.
• Wrap the freshly cut scions in a wet newspaper and put the package in a
plastic bag.
• Transport your scions to the grafting location as soon as possible. Store
the package in a cool place during transportation and use a cooling box
if you will be travelling for long.

6 Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.)

When to collect scions
It is advisable to collect
scions during warm and
humid weather, just before
the production of new
leaves (also called flushing).

What to avoid when

harvesting scions
• Harvesting from
diseased branches
• Low lying or crowded branches
• Bigger or smaller sized scions that don’t match the rootstock
• Scions not at ‘tight bud stage’
• Woody or matured stems
• Avoid collecting scions between the flowering and harvesting seasons

• Scions should be stored in a zip-lock plastic bag in a

cool dark place for not more than 7 days. The sooner you
perform the grafting with the cut scions, the better and
the higher the success rate. It is recommended that you
collect the materials (steps 1 and 2 above) and carry out
the grafting activity on the same day whenever possible.
• To ensure successful grafting, it is recommended that
a farmer selects healthy and vigorous rootstocks and
scions which come from desired mango varieties.

Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.) 7

 STEP

4 Preparing rootstock for top or wedge grafting

• Ensure that you pair scions to rootstock of the same thickness.

• Cut the mango rootstock seedling horizontally at a height of about 6−8
cm above soil level by using pruning scissors or a sharp knife.

Ensure that diameters of

the scion and that of the
rootstock are same Preparing the rootstock
for grafting

• Split the cut upper end of the rootstock through to a depth of about 3 cm
using a very sharp knife.

8 Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.)

 STEP

5 Preparing the scion for top or wedge grafting

• Cut the scion to a final length of about 10 cm using a pair of pruning

scissors or a sharp knife.
• Use the scalpel or razor blade to sharpen the cut lower end of the scion
to a V-shape by removing the wood on both sides of the scion.
• Try to make the V-shape as deep as possible (about 2−3 cm) as this will
increase the survival rate of your grafted scion.

Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.) 9

 STEP

6 Join rootstock and scion

• Slide the sharpened end of the scion into the slot you have cut on the
rootstock.
• Insert the scion as deep as possible into the cut of the rootstock and
align the two parts.

Make sure the cambium

parts (these are the white
greenish layers just under
the bark) of the scion and
the rootstock are in close
contact and quite firm. It
is important that both the
scion and rootstock have
exactly the same thickness
at the contact location. If
this is not the case, it is
advisable that you remove
the scion and repeat the
sharpening at a thinner
end or cut the rootstock at
a thicker part of its stem.
Then repeat the joining and
check if the two match.

10 Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.)

 STEP

7 Enclose (bandage) the union

Fix both the scion and rootstock in place by covering the point of union until
it is healed. To do this;

• Hold the union carefully with one hand.

• With the other hand, wrap the grafting tape or the polythene strip tightly
around the union and knot or inter-loop the two ends of the tape/strip.
• Make sure that the wrapping is tight enough and that the scion does not
move out of the union while wrapping.

Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.) 11

 STEP

8 Cover the scion

This is done in order to increase the temperature and humidity around the
graft, hence improving the chances of a successful graft union.

• Wrap another grafting tape or polythene strip around the scion, but a bit
more loosely than the one bandaging the union.
• Knot or inter-loop the two ends of the tape/strip.
• Don’t cover the upper part of the scion which is the terminal bud so that
it can grow and produce new leaves.

What to avoid
• Using unclean grafting materials can lead to wound contamination/
infection.
• Direct exposure of the union to sunlight may lead to high water loss.
Grafted mango should be stored under a shade.

12 Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.)

 STEP

9 Let the wounds heal and remove the bandage

Fix both the scion and rootstock in place by covering the point of union until
it is healed. To do this;

• Hold the union carefully with one hand.

• With the other hand, wrap the grafting tape or the polythene strip tightly
around the union and knot or inter-loop the two ends of the tape/strip.
• Make sure that the wrapping is tight enough and that the scion does not
move out of the union while wrapping.

Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.) 13

 STEP

10
Post grafting care: hardening, transplanting and
removal of terminal bud

• Harden your grafted seedling to avoid shock by placing them in a shade

house or a shaded area for 6-8 weeks before transplanting.
• Transplant the grafted seedling into a well prepared planting hole (refer to
planting booklet).

About 6 months after transplanting, you can remove the terminal bud of the
stem to initiate branching at the desired height of your mango tree.

©World Agroforestry (ICRAF)

Over watering of recently grafted plants is a common

mistake encountered as there is minimal loss of water
through leaves. Please do not overwater the grafted plant.

14 Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.)

 ©Sammy Carsan\World Agroforestry (ICRAF)

Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.) 15

 Funded by European Union

World Agroforestry (ICRAF)

United Nations Avenue, Gigiri
PO Box 30677–00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: + (254) 20 7224000, Fax: +(254) 20 722 4001
Via USA phone (1-650) 833-6645
Via USA fax (1-650) 833-6646
Email: worldagroforestry@cgiar.org
Website: www.worldagroforestry.org

16 Mango grafting booklet (Mangifera indica L.)