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main reasons for low productivity is the low availability of essential nutrients, as the farmers are supplying only N, P and K fertilizers and that too indiscriminately and secondly the interspaces which are left as such, are timely covered with perennial weeds which compete with essential nutrients and moisture, thereby reducing their availability. These perennial weeds actually go deeper into the soil for moisture, and lot of water is also transpired from them. Due to this crop-weed competition, fruit trees mostly suffer from water stress and also have an impact on yield and quality of fruits, (Derr 2001). So if the interspaces of orchards are utilized by growing different intercrops, that are compatible with

This was carried out in the Experimental Farm, of Division of Fruit Science, SKUAST-K- Shalimar during the years 2017 and 2018. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications having 15 plants per replication. In this study rootstock were planted at three different timings (2nd fortnight of November, 2nd fortnight of December, 2017 and 2nd fortnight of January, 2018) and were grafted with two different scion types (Middle portion of current season growth with 3-5 buds and Current season growth (3-5buds) with small piece of 2- year old-wood) on two different dates (3rd week of February and 1st week of March, 2018) under polyhouse conditions. The results obtained indicated that initial graft success (75%), leaf area (350 cm2), leaf number (11.4), scion girth (4.8 cm), shoot length (21.8 cm), final plant height (132.9 cm) and final graft success (69%) were significantly better when rootstocks were planted during 2nd fortnight of November as compared to other timings of rootstock planting. Among two different scions viz., (Middle portion of current season growth with 3-5buds) and (Current season growth (3-5buds) with small piece of 2-year old wood), initial graft success (63%), leaf area (309.9 cm2), leaf number (12.9), scion girth (4.3 cm) and shoot length (19.3 cm), final plant height (119.8 cm) and final graft success (58%) were observed better with scion type having middle portion of current season growth with 3-5 buds. Time of grafting significantly influenced all the recorded parameters and best results were obtained when grafting was performed during 3rd week of February as compared to 1st week of March.

<p>An experiment was conducted to assess the impact of different intercrops like maize, pea, strawberry, cabbage, red clover, french bean, oats and maize on cropping, quality and relative economic yield of cherry cv. Misri under Kashmir conditions. The results obtained revealed significant improvement in cherry trees intercropped with leguminous crops like pea, red clover and french bean than clean cultivation and heavy feeder crops (requiring high level of soil nutrients) like strawberry, cabbage, oats and maize. Highest per cent fruit set, fruit maturity, fruit yield and fruit physico-chemical characteristics were recorded maximum in cherry trees with leguminous type of crops. The impact of intercrops on relative economic yield of cherry (system equivalent yield) revealed that the cherry plants intercropped with pea had better benefit: cost ratio (1.71) followed by cabbage (1.41), red clover (1.40) and French bean (1.39) than clean cultivation (1.34).</p>