GRAFTING TECHNIQUE ONTO CUCURBIT ROOTSTOCKS FOR CONTROL SOIL BORN DISEASES AND ENHANCE THE PRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR FOR MELON (CUCUMIS MELO) IN EGYPT

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted at two successive seasons 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 during the activity of the project Grafting techniques to improve production and to solve the problems in under plastic greenhouse by supporting the Agriculture Development Programme in Egypt. The first experiment was conducted to evaluate two melon cultivars i.e., Hybrid London (Galia type) and Hybrid Magd (Ananas type) and eight cucurbit rootstocks for their resistance and/or susceptibility to soil borne diseases such as (Fusarium oxysporum and Verticillium albo-atrum) which considered the most serious pathogens that cause soil born diseases on melon crop. The data revealed that the Squash No3, Super Shintoza, Coplt, FliexFort, Ferro RZ, and Nun 6001 rootstocks were resistant to the F. oxysporum and V. albo-atrum pathogens in infested and non-infested soil except Pakistani luffa rootstock which was susceptible to the two pathogens. Moreover Squash No3, Ferro RZ, and Nun 6001 rootstocks are considered the highly resistant to F. oxysporum while Squash No3, FliexFort and Nun 6001 rootstocks are considered highly resistant to Verticillium albo-atrum. On the other hand the two tested melon varieties {Hybrid London and Hybrid Magd} were highly susceptible to the previous pathogens. The second experiment was conducted to compare between the effects of the previous resistant rootstocks and between three grafting methods (hole insertion grafting, splice grafting and tongue-approach grafting) on melonplant growth and yield components of Hybrid London compared with non-grafted plants which used as control. The highest success rate of grafted melon seedlings was recorded by tongue-approach grafting method followed by hole insertion grafting method. Moreover, the plants survival rate, vegetative growth characteristics (stem length, leaves number and shoot fresh weights), of grafting melon seedlings varied depending on grafting methods, rootstocks and the combination between grafting methods and rootstocks and difference between scion and rootstocks hypocotyls . The data revealed that the grafting onto Squash No3, Super Shintoza, Coplt, FliexFort, Ferro RZ and Nun 6001 rootstocks are suitable method for commercial melons production under greenhouse conditions in Egypt by provides sufficient protection against Fusarium oxysporum and Verticillium albo-atrum especially. This result due to the survival rate of plants grafted onto these rootstocks was extremely high. Moreover, the grafting melon seedlings by hole insertion and splice grafting methods onto FliexFort, Ferro RZ and Nun 6001 gave vigour growth, higher yield under greenhouse conditions without exhibiting any detrimental effects on melon fruit quality of the Hybrid London cultivar.