Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Stooling, also known as mound layering, is a vegetative propagation technique. The parent plant is headed back to the ground level during the dormant season, which induces the growth of multiple new shoots from the base. These shoots are later covered with soil to encourage rooting.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Statement I is true. Stooling has emerged as the most successful and cost-effective commercial method for propagating Guava (Psidium guajava) in India. Unlike air layering, which is labor-intensive and has lower survival rates upon transplanting, stooling allows for the production of a large number of uniform, clonal plants in a concentrated area (stool bed). It ensures nearly 100 percent survival and is much cheaper than grafting.
Statement II is also true. A stooling bed is a long-term investment. In the first year, a mother plant might produce only 2-4 stools. However, as the root system becomes more established and the crown area expands with age, the same mother plant can produce 15-30 rooted stools annually. A well-managed stooling block can remain productive for 15 to 20 years. This increase in productivity with age makes it an extremely "economical" method as described in Statement I.
The process involves heading back in January-February, mounding with soil in June-July after shoots reach 25-30 cm, and detaching the rooted stools in October-November.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Both statements are accurate descriptions of the horticultural practice and economic benefits of stooling in guava.