What is the Difference Between Budding and Grafting?

Budding and grafting are horticultural techniques used to join parts from two or more plants so that they appear to grow as a single plant. Both techniques involve vegetative propagation, which is an asexual mode of reproduction in plants, mainly produced by the vegetative parts of older plants, such as roots, stems, and leaves. However, there are differences between the two methods:

Budding:

• Budding is a grafting technique.
• Involves taking a single bud from one plant and growing it on another plant.
• Several methods are followed in the process of budding, including T and I method of budding, patch budding, forkert budding, and ring budding.
• Budding is most often done during the growing season but can also be done during the dormant season for some species.
• Examples of plants produced by budding techniques include cherry, citrus fruits, ornamental plants, peach, apple, plums, and nut trees.

Grafting:

• Grafting is a vegetative method of propagation.
• Involves joining the upper part (scion) of one plant to the root system (rootstock) of another plant.
• Requires extensive knowledge of nursery crop species and their compatibility.
• Can be done when the bark is slipping (bark graft) or during the dormant season (dormant graft).
• Examples of plants propagated by grafting include apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherries, and apricots.

Both budding and grafting techniques help increase the productivity of certain horticultural plants, producing new disease-free and healthy plants that can tolerate drought.

Comparative Table: Budding vs Grafting

Budding and grafting are both horticultural techniques used for the production of new plants, specifically through vegetative propagation. This type of plant breeding involves using parts of older plants, such as roots, stems, and leaves, to produce new plants. Here are the main differences between budding and grafting: