Non-grafted Plants Research Articles

Agronomic Evaluation and Yield Potentials of Grafting of Piper nigrum and Piper colobrinum

Foot rot disease (Phytophthora capsica) is Indonesia's primary challenge in cultivating pepper (Piper nigrum). Grafting to another Piper species, Piper coclobrinum, or melada (the local name), is a potential solution to increase resistance to this disease. The use of melada as rootstock has shown promising results during the seedling phase, but it has not been thoroughly evaluated during the production phase. The study was conducted in the pepper grower’s location in Puput and Simpang Katis Villages, Central Bangka, Bangka Belitung Islands Province. The study used kapok (Ceiba petandra) as the standard; plant morphology, leaf area, leaf thickness, and crown diameter for grafted melada and non-grafted pepper were recorded. Harvest variables included panicle length, panicle weight, the number of fruits per panicle, and fruit diameter, measured in three different areas of the canopy: the lower area (0-1 meter above the ground surface), the middle area (1-2 meters above the ground surface), and the top area (more than 2 meters above the ground surface). Physiological variables measured included rates of photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, intercellular CO2, and CO2 conductance. The study demonstrated that the grafted pepper plants had a larger leaf area than the non-grafted pepper plants; the panicle weight and the number of fruits per panicle were higher. Panicles located in the middle zone of the plant canopy tended to be longer for grafted and non-grafted peppers. Panicle weight, fruit size, and the number of fruits per panicle were generally more significant at the top of the plant canopy. In all parts of the canopy, grafted peppers exhibited larger fruit size, greater panicle weight, and a higher number of fruits per panicle than non-grafted “Nyelungkup” peppers, highlighting the potential of melada as a rootstock for pepper plants.

Effect of Tomato Grafting onto Novel and Commercial Rootstocks on Improved Salinity Tolerance and Enhanced Growth, Physiology, and Yield in Soilless Culture

Grafting high-yielding tomato varieties onto stress-tolerant rootstocks can mitigate the adverse effects of saline water irrigation on plant tomato productivity in arid regions like Saudi Arabia. This study investigates the efficacy of grafting tomatoes onto both novel and commercial rootstocks to enhance salinity tolerance and its impact on growth, physiological parameters, and yield in a soilless culture system. The experiment involved two water quality levels, 2 (S1) and 4 (S2) dS m−1, two growth media types, volcanic rock (M1) and sand (M2), and six grafting treatments: Tone Guitar F1 non-grafted (G1) (commercial scion), grafted onto itself (G2), Tone Guitar F1* Maxifort F1 (G3) (commercial rootstock), and grafting the scion onto three novel rootstocks, X-218 (G4), X-238 (G5), and Alawamiya365 (G6). Growth, physiology, photosynthetic pigments, and yield improved with lower salinity (2 dS m−1) in volcanic rock and with the grafting treatments (G2–G6) compared to the non-grafted treatment (G1). The best results were achieved with the S1M1G5 treatment, where yield increased by 53% compared to the lowest yield in non-grafted plants grown in sand under higher salinity (S2M2G1). All studied traits were adversely affected under high salinity (S2) in sandy media, with the G1 treatment resulting in the lowest values for these traits.

Grafting increases superoxide dismutase and catalase activity to overcome the impact of the two-spotted spider mite on eggplant growth and productivity

Grafting vegetable crops is considered a valuable tool for improving the yield and quality of fruits under various stress conditions. This study aimed to assess the influence of grafting eggplant Solanum melongena (cv. A338) onto Solanum torvum rootstock (cv. STT3) on the incidence of the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae (TSSM). An experimental study was conducted to investigate the defense response elicited, as assessed by measuring the activities of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), as well as hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>) and chlorophyll contents in grafted and non-grafted eggplants under different TSSM infestation levels (10, 30 and 50 adults per plant). In addition, the effect of grafting on plant growth and yield of eggplant was evaluated. According to the findings of the present study, grafted plants had a lower density of TSSM than non-grafted plants. The number of eggs, nymphs, and adults on grafted plants was 40.11%, 31.71%, and 27.54%, respectively, lower than on non-grafted plants. With increasing TSSM density, the activities of CAT and SOD were increased at varying degrees. In terms of SOD activity, the grafted plants outperformed both the non-grafted scion and rootstock at all TSSM densities. In addition, the results demonstrated that plants with greater CAT activity were able to maintain a lower H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> content and vice versa. The lower negative impacts on photosynthetic pigments demonstrated that grafted plants on S. torvum were more resistant to mite-induced damage to chlorophyll and carotenoids as mite density elevated. The grafted plants were superior in vegetative growth, and the total fruit weight was found to be two times higher than non-grafted plants. The features modified by grafting, such as the increased activities of SOD and CAT, can alleviate the impact of TSSM. Therefore, grafting could constitute a valuable tool when combined with other strategies of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the two-spotted spider mite control programs.

Morphological and Physiological Changes under NaCl Stress in Some Pyrus and Quince Rootstocks

In this study, the aim was to determine some morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes in non-grafted plants of OHxF 97, OHxF 333, Fox 11, and BA 29 rootstocks under NaCl stress. NaCl (0 mM, 20 mM, 40 mM, and 80 mM) was applied to the rootstocks planted in 18-liter pots with irrigation water repeated over two years. Under NaCl stress, plant height, plant diameter, and leaf area decreased in all rootstocks. Additionally, Fox 11 and BA 29 rootstocks were more adversely affected by NaCl stress to leaf necrosis. The amounts of chl a, chl b, and total chl decreased in Fox 11 rootstock with moderate and severe stress treatments. Carotenoid content in the leaves, especially under severe stress conditions, showed a decrease in Pyrus rootstocks. Under NaCl stress, the leaves of Fox 11 were rich in proline. MDA content generally increased with NaCl stress compared to the control in Fox 11 and BA 29. Although significant changes in plant nutrients were generally not observed with NaCl, a significant decrease in the amount of K+ in the leaves of Fox 11 was identified. Consequently, Fox 11 and BA 29 rootstocks exhibit sensitivity to NaCl stress, whereas OHxF rootstocks demonstrate greater tolerance.

INDIGENOUS CUCURBITS AND GRAFTING TECHNIQUES AFFECT CUCUMBER PRODUCTIVITY BY MODULATING MORPHO-PHYSIO-BIOCHEMICAL INDICES

Vegetable grafting is a unique surgical horticultural technology for inducing soilborne biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in cucumbers. Indigenous cucurbit germplasm as rootstocks may show more tolerance potential compared to exotic ones. However, it needs evaluation for compatibility testing through various grafting techniques. Therefore, this study was planned to test available cucurbits as rootstocks for graft success vis-à-vis cucumber growth and productivity. It was carried out in the Plant Propagation and Physiology lab at MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan. The seeds of the indigenous open-pollinated cucurbits were sown in 64-celled plug trays with peat moss as growing media, followed by shifting to 50-celled plug trays at the first true leaf emergence stage. The seeds of selected scion (cucumber) were sown after the emergence of rootstock seeds. Different grafting techniques were performed at the first true leaf stage of the scion, followed by healing and acclimatization. In this experiment, hybrid cucumber (cv Yalla F1) was grafted on three indigenous cucurbits, namely ridge gourd (Luffa acutangular), bottle gourd (Lagenaria sicearia) and pumpkin (Cucurbit pepo. L) for graft compatibility success by using three grafting techniques: cleft grafting, one cotyledon grafting and hole insertion. Non-grafted cucumber was grown to compare with grafted plants for growth and productivity. Overall, significant (p ≤ 0.5%) results were obtained regarding a 90% survival rate in cucumber plants grafted onto the bottle gourd through cleft grafting compared to the other grafting techniques. Additionally, the cucumber plants grafted on bottle gourd showed the highest morphological (root length, shoot length, root fresh weight, shoot fresh weight and rootstocks, and scion gir th), physiological (photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and sub-stomatal conductance), biochemical (antioxidants activities, SOD, CAT, and POX) and yield indices (average fruit length, weight, numbers, and yield) as compared to the non-grafted plants. Conclusively, cucumber grafting onto indigenous bottle gourd with cleft grafting technique exhibited maximum compatibility confirmed through physio-chemical attributes and improved plant biomass and yield, thereby suggested for cucumber grafting.

Grafted Tomatoes Removed More Soil Phosphorus than Nongrafted Tomatoes under High-phosphorus Conditions

Nonpoint-source phosphorus (P) from agricultural fields is a contaminant of surface waters, and high soil P fertility exacerbates this problem. Many vegetable growers and gardeners have a history of applying more P than is necessary for optimum plant growth. Avoiding unnecessary P applications is an important part of the long-term solution to reducing P loading in water. When soil P levels are very high, management practices that result in more intense P removal are recommended to reduce these levels and the potential for aquatic ecosystem contamination with P. Growers may apply soluble starter fertilizer containing P to encourage rapid transplant establishment; however, the effectiveness of this practice is unknown for soil P levels considered high or very high. Grafting tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) onto vigorous rootstocks may help the plant remove more P from the soil than nongrafted plants. This study investigated the effects of organic starter P fertilizers applied to three hybrids of nongrafted tomato and the same hybrids grafted onto ‘Estamino’ rootstock in field-grown conditions during three site-years with high preplant P fertility. The yield, fruit P concentration, and amount of P removed from the field were measured to elucidate starter P and grafting impacts on P removal. Starter P was not impactful on all responses. Grafting increased the total yield by 11.6%, fruit P concentration in a genotype-dependent manner (average of 12.6%), and net P removal from the field by 28.4% (6.0 kg P/ha). Net P removal was positively correlated with the total yield (r = 0.821) and fruit P concentration (r = 0.502), suggesting that practices to increase the yield or P concentration independently increase net P removal.

Grafting of Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) onto Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.): Harvesting Double Crops from a Single Plant

Rapid Urbanization and industrialization have been overtaking land for food production at the global level. Further, climate change has necessitated the modification of the existing food production system to adapt the changing environmental situations. Grafting is a rapid and economical solution to improving the yield in Solanaceous vegetables. In this study, the effects of grafting tomato (cv. Garv) on potato (cv. Desiree) rootstock were evaluated for yield of tomato and potato in comparison to non-grafted tomato and non-grafted potato plants. The results showed that the yield of tomato was significantly higher in non-grafted tomato (11.05 t/ha) and tomato grafted on potato with decapitation of potato shoots (4.07 t/ha) compared to that of tomato grafted on potato without decapitation of potato shoots (0.94 t/ha). On the other hand, the yields of non-grafted potato (1.44 t/ha) and tomato grafted on potato without decapitation of potato shoots (1.00 t/ha) were statistically higher than that of tomato grafted on potato with the decapitation of potato shoots. There were no statistical differences between the treatments for dry matter content and Total Soluble Solutes (TSS) of tomato and potato. The yield of tomato of the grafted pomato was negatively correlated to the yield of potato rootstock, but it was not statistically different. The data from this study suggest grafting of tomato on potato with decapitation of potato shoots is recommended for obtaining higher yield of grafted tomato and without decapitation of potato shoots for higher yield of potato from grafted plants.

Grafting Bell Pepper onto Local Genotypes of Capsicum spp. as Rootstocks to Alleviate Bacterial Wilt and Root-Knot Nematodes under Protected Cultivation

In soil-based protected cultivation, the prevalence of certain diseases like bacterial wilt and nematodes in the bell pepper plant due to its successive cropping pose a threat for maximizing productivity. Considering the potential of grafting to alleviate various biotic and abiotic stresses, often relying on rootstock’s capability, we explored the potential of diverse local genotypes of Capsicum spp. to utilize as rootstocks. In this research, we assessed the performance of a commercial bell pepper cv. Massilia F1, grafted onto twenty-five rootstocks along with non-grafted and self-grafted Massilia plants under artificial inoculation conditions of bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) and nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita) in a plastic greenhouse. The response of rootstock grafting was determined by assessing disease incidences and their effect on plants growth, yield, and physiology, as well as their efficiency in nutrient accumulation. The grafted plants exhibited varied responses to diseases depending on rootstock genotypes. Notably, Massilia grafted onto the CRS-8 and CRS-1 rootstocks exhibited high bacterial wilt resistance by showing lower percent disease incidence (PDI) (22.22 and 27.78 percent, respectively). Others, like CRS-11, CRS-12, CRS-13, CRS-21, and CRS-24, showed moderate resistance (PDI ranging from 33.33 to 38.89 percent, respectively). The self-grafted and non-grafted plants were highly susceptible and recorded complete mortality by the end of the experiment. All of the grafted plants exhibited promising resistance against nematode infestation compared to non-grafted and self-grafted plants with 26.17 and 8.67 percent root galls, respectively. The susceptible plants had lower shoot and root dry weights, while the resistant graft combinations had comparatively higher biomass. Importantly, grafting induced earliness in flowering and provided higher yields, especially in graft combinations involving the CRS-15, CRS-11, and CRS-8 rootstocks. These graft combinations exhibited significantly higher yields over the non-grafted and self-grafted plants. The plant yield was positively associated with plant height, number of leaves, fresh and dry weight of roots, number of fruits per plant, and average fruit weight, but negatively related to bacterial wilt and root-knot nematode incidences. The increased level of antioxidant enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase (PPO), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), and peroxidase (POD) and the higher total chlorophyll content in the resistant grafted plants indicates their better ability to cope with diseases at the cellular level. This study highlights the robust performance of certain rootstocks from Capsicum annuum (CRS-1, CRS-2, CRS-11, CRS-15) and Capsicum frutescens (CRS-8, CRS-13, CRS-22) species across multiple measured parameters. Grafting emerges as a sustainable solution for bell pepper production in bacterial wilt- and nematode-infested soil under plastic greenhouses.

Response of leaf photosynthesis, chlorophyll content and yield of hydroponic tomatoes to different water salinity levels.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop that grows easily under controlled conditions, such as in greenhouses and hydroponics. To overcome freshwater scarcity, researchers are searching for alternatives to groundwater sources such as desalinated water (saline water) for irrigation. High salinity in irrigation water alters physiological functions and crop development, thereby reducing the yield. Best management practices and the use of grafted tomato plants on salt-tolerant rootstocks can alleviate salinity stress. The present study was conducted to address the impact of salinity stress on leaf transpiration (Tr), stomatal conductance (gs), photosynthesis (Pn), leaf chlorophyll content, proline content, and yield of hydroponically cultivated tomato plants. Saline (NaCl) water was used for the preparation of nutrient solution with three salinity levels, electrical conductivity (EC, dS m-1) of 2.5 (control), 6.0, and 9.5. Three commercial tomato cultivars (Valouro-RZ, Ghandora-F1, and Feisty-Red) were used. Both self-rooted plants and plants grafted onto Maxifort rootstocks were transplanted onto a perlite substrate. The recorded data revealed that all studied cultivars were critically affected by higher salinity (≈ 9.5 dS m-1) compared to low (≈ 2.5 dS m-1) and medium (≈ 6.0 dS m-1) salinity levels. The Variations in Tr, Pn, gs, chlorophyll content of leaf, and yield between medium and high salinity trials were reported at 3%, 5%, 9%, 5%, and 7.1%, respectively, whereas no significant differences were observed between low and medium salinities. However, at medium salinity levels, grafted plants performed better in photosynthesis than non-grafted plants. This is due to the accumulation of leaf proline, which maintains osmotic regulation and photosynthetic activity by preventing cell damage at medium salinities. Hence, this study confirmed the use of saline water for growing tomatoes under hydroponic conditions up to an EC of 6.0 dS m-1 including the EC of nutrient fertilizers.

Enhancing salinity tolerance in cucumber through Selenium biofortification and grafting

BackgroundSalinity stress is a major limiting factor for plant growth, particularly in arid and semi-arid environments. To mitigate the detrimental effects of salinity stress on vegetable production, selenium (Se) biofortification and grafting onto tolerant rootstocks have emerged as effective and sustainable cultivation practices. This study aimed to investigate the combined effects of Se biofortification and grafting onto tolerant rootstock on the yield of cucumber grown under salinity stress greenhouse conditions. The experiment followed a completely randomized factorial design with three factors: salinity level (0, 50, and 100 mM of NaCl), foliar Se application (0, 5, and 10 mg L-1 of sodium selenate) and grafting (grafted and non-grafted plants) using pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) as the rootstock. Each treatment was triplicated.ResultsThe results of this study showed that Se biofortification and grafting significantly enhanced salinity tolerance in grafted cucumbers, leading to increased yield and growth. Moreover, under salinity stress conditions, Se-Biofortified plants exhibited increased leaf relative water content (RWC), proline, total soluble sugars, protein, phenol, flavonoids, and antioxidant enzymes. These findings indicate that Se contributes to the stabilization of cucumber cell membrane and the reduction of ion leakage by promoting the synthesis of protective compounds and enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity. Moreover, grafting onto pumpkin resulted in increased salinity tolerance of cucumber through reduced Na uptake and translocation to the scion.ConclusionIn conclusion, the results highlight the effectiveness of Se biofortification and grafting onto pumpkin in improving cucumber salinity tolerance. A sodium selenate concentration of 10 mg L-1 is suggested to enhance the salinity tolerance of grafted cucumbers. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of sustainable cultivation practices to mitigate the adverse impact of salinity stress on cucumber production in challenging environments.

Interspecific Hybrid Rootstocks Improve Productivity of Tomato Grown under High-temperature Stress

Grafting can be a useful technology to improve productivity of vegetable crops, including tomato, particularly under the serious challenges of climate change for agricultural systems. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of some local tomato interspecific hybrid rootstocks along with Maxifort on the vegetative growth, productivity, and fruit quality of tomato under field production conditions. Heat-tolerant tomato hybrid 023 F1 was used as a scion over the two late summer seasons of 2021 and 2022. Grafting 023 F1 onto Maxifort or KFS-16 rootstocks resulted in the maximum plant growth. Similarly, Maxifort and KFS-16 rootstocks significantly increased the fruit setting percentage from 22.2% to 23.5% and 17.8% to 24.6%, total fruit yield from 33.5% to 53.7% and 29.6% to 51.6%, and marketable yields from 34.1% to 56.0% and 27.3% to 56.7%, respectively, during both seasons compared with nongrafted plants. These two rootstocks enhanced nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) uptake compared with nongrafted planted. However, grafting with the interspecific hybrid rootstocks (KFS-8 and KWS-9) significantly decreased the content of catalase, peroxidase, and proline, which might be associated with lower plant vigor and yield in these rootstocks. All rootstocks had an impact on fruit chemical composition; however, generally, Maxifort and KFS-16 had greater contents of vitamin C, β-carotene, and total antioxidants than nongrafted plants. KFS-16 had also greater lycopene content than nongrafted plants. These results demonstrate the potential use of Maxifort and local rootstock KFS-16 to boost the growth and yield of tomato plants under high-temperature stress in the late summer season.

Cucumber grafting on indigenous cucurbit landraces confers salt tolerance and improves fruit yield by enhancing morpho-physio-biochemical and ionic attributes

Pakistan is the 8th most climate-affected country in the globe along with a semi-arid to arid climate, thereby the crops require higher irrigation from underground water. Moreover, ~ 70% of pumped groundwater in irrigated agriculture is brackish and a major cause of secondary salinization. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is an important vegetable crop with an annual growth rate of about 3.3% in Pakistan. However, it is a relatively salt-sensitive crop. Therefore, a dire need for an alternate environment-friendly technology like grafting for managing salinity stress in cucumber by utilizing the indigenous cucurbit landraces. In this regard, a non-perforated pot-based study was carried out in a lath house to explore indigenous cucurbit landraces; bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) (cv. Faisalabad Round), pumpkin (Cucurbit pepo. L) (cv. Local Desi Special), sponge gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca) (cv. Local) and ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula) (cv. Desi Special) as rootstocks for inducing salinity tolerance in cucumber (cv. Yahla F1). Four different salts (NaCl) treatments; T0 Control (2.4 dSm–1), T1 (4 dSm–1), T2 (6 dSm–1) and T3 (8 dSm–1) were applied. The grafted cucumber plants were transplanted into the already-induced salinity pots (12-inch). Different morpho-physio-biochemical, antioxidants, ionic, and yield attributes were recorded. The results illustrate that increasing salinity negatively affected the growing cucumber plants. However, grafted cucumber plants showed higher salt tolerance relative to non-grafted ones. Indigenous bottle gourd landrace (cv. Faisalabad Round) exhibited higher salt tolerance compared to non-grafted cucumber plants due to higher up-regulation of morpho-physio-biochemical, ionic, and yield attributes that was also confirmed by principal component analysis (PCA). Shoot and root biomass, chlorophylls contents (a and b), activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POX) enzymes, antioxidants scavenging activity (ASA), ionic (↑ K and Ca, ↓ Na), and yield-related attributes were found maximum in cucumber plants grafted onto indigenous bottle gourd landrace. Hence, the indigenous bottle gourd landrace ‘cv. Faisalabad round’ may be utilized as a rootstock for cucumber under a mild pot-based saline environment. However, indigenous bottle gourd landrace ‘cv. Faisalabad round’ may further be evaluated as rootstocks in moderate saline field conditions for possible developing hybrid rootstock and, subsequently, sustainable cucumber production.

Grafted and Nongrafted ‘Cherokee Purple’ Tomato Performance in Aquaponic and Hydroponic Greenhouse Production in Oklahoma

‘Cherokee Purple’ tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants are a highly sought-after heirloom cultivar in the United States but are low yielding and highly susceptible to soil-borne pathogens, and may benefit from being grafted. Soilless systems such as aquaponics and hydroponics help increase yield, mitigate disease, and serve as an alternative to field production. The objective of this study was to evaluate a grafting combination of ‘Cherokee Purple’ × ‘Maxifort’ and nongrafted controls in 1.85-m2 media grow beds with hydroponic and aquaponic systems using copper nose bluegill in a greenhouse. Grafting increased stem diameter, leaf count, stem height, flower count, and bud count compared with nongrafted plants. In aquaponics, grafting increased the phosphorus uptake over nongrafted plants grown in the aquaponic system. Grafting resulted in greater fresh (49.2%) and dry (40.0%) shoot biomass, and fresh (33.3%) and dry (42.8%) root biomass. Grafting also increased the uptake of copper and sulfur in the aquaponic systems. The hydroponic systems resulted in greater leaf count, soil plant analysis development, stem height, shoot biomass, and greater boron, phosphorus, potassium, iron, and manganese levels than aquaponic systems. Total fruit number and weight were greater in hydroponic systems than in aquaponic systems by 35.4% and 30.4%, respectively, but fruit splitting was a problem in both. Aquaponics resulted in greater root fresh weight than hydroponics. The nutrients zinc and copper increased with the use of aquaponic systems over hydroponic systems. This research suggests that the type of system can affect growth and nutrient uptake, and ‘Cherokee Purple’ should not be used in a soilless system because of excessive fruit splitting, leading to unmarketable fruit and low yield, unless environmental conditions can be managed during the heat of the summer.

Effect of Different Rootstocks on the Salt Stress Tolerance and Fruit Quality of Grafted Eggplants (Solanum melongena L.).

Vegetable grafting is considered a rapid, non-chemical alternative method to relatively slow and expensive breeding to overcome the adverse effect of salinity. Therefore, a soilless experiment was performed to determine the salinity tolerance of eggplant (Solanum melongena) cv. Madonna grafted onto two different rootstocks, Solanum grandifolium × Solanum melongena (SH) and Solanum torvum (ST), as well as self-grafted (SG) and self-rooted (SR) as controls. All groups of plants were treated with 0 mM NaCl or 80 mM NaCl. A significant decrease in the relative leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD value) and chlorophyll concentrations were found in response to NaCl. However, the grafted plants had a higher photosynthetic pigment level than the non-grafted plants grown under saline conditions. Grafting eggplants onto SH significantly enhanced the total fruit yield as compared to the self-rooted plants exposed to salinity by increasing the average fruit weight. Moreover, salt stress significantly increased the whitening index and oxidation potential of fruits. The plants grafted onto SH or ST accumulated more Na+ in their roots than in their fruit or leaves, thus the Na+ partitioning between the above-ground and root parts most probably determines the increased salinity tolerance of the grafted ST and SH plants. To conclude, both the SH and ST rootstocks protected the scions against salinity; the scion showed both increased photosynthetic pigment concentration and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters as well as a lower Na+ concentration under stress that resulted in a higher fruit yield and quality.

Optimizing Tomato Grafts for Improved Growth, Yield and Fruit Quality

Low tomato production and yield in the country can be attributed to various biotic and abiotic stresses. To mitigate the impact of these challenges, vegetable grafting is gaining popularity worldwide. Furthermore, tomato growers are adopting hybrid varieties, but the majority of them face challenges affording the cost of hybrid seeds. This study was conducted in 2018 to investigate successful tomato grafting techniques aimed at enhancing growth, yield, and fruit quality. This study examined three distinct rootstocks (AS-2565, Bush beefsteak, and Roma vf), three high-yielding scion varieties (Super tomato, Rio-grande, and T-1359), and employed two grafting methods (splice and cleft). Non-grafted plants were maintained as check plants. The grafting methods showed non-significant differences in all studied parameters except grafting success, whereas the scion-rootstock combinations exhibited highly significant differences. The highest grafting success, number of fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit weight, and yield per plant were observed in the T-1359 scion grafted onto the Bush beefsteak (BBS) rootstock. Regarding quality characteristics, higher levels of total soluble solids (TSS) and pH were observed in non-grafted Super tomato plants. In terms of vitamin C, titratable acidity (TA), and lycopene content, the T-1359 scion performed better across various rootstocks. In conclusion, T-1359 grafted onto the BBS rootstock proved to be a superior scion-rootstock combination in terms of growth, yield, and quality.

Response of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) grafted on wild brinjal (Solanum torvum) rootstock for growth and yield

The present experiment was conducted to study the compatibility of different tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) varieties/hybrids grafted on wild brinjal (Solanum torvum Sw.) rootstock with an objective to study the effect of rootstock on growth, yield, graft success (%), crop duration and incidence of fusarium wilt in tomato. The study was carried out during rainy (kharif) season 2019 subsequently for 3 years and completed in winter (rabi) season 2022–23, which comprises 2 rootstocks, 3 scions in a factorial randomized block design (FRBD) with 9 treatments and 3 replications. The results were analyzed on the basis of 3 years pooled data with respect to growth and yield parameters. The grafting results showed significant increase in minimum number of days to 1st harvest (68.55),maximum fruit weight (81.04 g), number of fruit per plant (29.45), yield per plant (2.38 kg), yield per plot (85.68 kg) and yield per hectare (72.12 tonnes) over control. The graft combination of Phule Raja grafted on Solanum torvum showed maximum graft success (95.07%), less incidence of fusarium wilt (0.00%) with maximum crop duration of 235 days, i.e. an increase of 57 days compared to non-grafted. The benefit:cost (B:C) ratio analysis showed higher net monetary returns in grafted plants as compared to non-grafted plants. It is concluded that the grafting of Phule Raja on wild brinjal rootstock recommended for higher yield and less incidence of fusarium wilt.

The Impact of Salinity and Nutrient Regimes on the Agro-Morphological Traits and Water Use Efficiency of Tomato under Hydroponic Conditions

The effects of saline water on three greenhouse tomato cultivars (Feisty-Red, Ghandowra-F1, and Valouro-RZ) under three salinity concentrations (S1, ~2.5 dS m−1; S2, ~6.0 dS m−1; and ~9.0 dS m−1) and four nutrient regimes (N1–N4) were studied by evaluating the vegetative growth, chlorophyll content, leaf area, water use efficiency (WUE), and fruit yield of the cultivars. Vegetative growth parameters, such as plant height, leaf area, and stem diameter, were negatively correlated with increased levels of salinity. Also, the lowest WUE was noted for the high-salinity (~9.0 dS m−1) treatments. The Valouro-RZ cultivar performed better in terms of vegetative growth parameters when compared to both the Ghandowra-F1 and Feisty-Red cultivars. The plants grafted onto Maxifort rootstock showed more tolerance to salinity stress, with significant differences in plant growth, tomato yield, and WUE when compared with the non-grafted plants. The use of a modified nutrient solution (N2) in combination with moderately saline water (S2, ~6.0 dS m−1) resulted in a high mean yield (30.7 kg m−2), with a reduction of about ~1.6% compared with the mean yield of the control (i.e., the combination of S1 and N1), which was estimated to be about 31.2 kg m−2. High salinity significantly affected the mean WUE, which was the highest at 31.3 kg m−3 for the control plants (low salinity—S1), followed by the moderate-salinity (S2) plants at 30.4 kg m−3, and the lowest mean WUE was recorded for the high-salinity (S3) plants at 17.7 kg m−3. These results indicate that a combination of grafting onto rootstocks and using an appropriate nutrient recipe (i.e., N2 in this study) can mitigate the negative effects of salt stress on tomato plants grown under hydroponic conditions.

Variable Yield Responses among Grafted and Nongrafted Late blight–resistant Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Hybrids in North Carolina

Host resistance is an environmentally and economically sustainable disease management strategy that may be especially beneficial to small-scale and organic growers for whom other management tools such as synthetic pesticides are too costly or not permitted. In western North Carolina, the demand for vine-ripened tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) from local and organic farms has led to the development of cultivars bred for resistance to geographically relevant diseases, including late blight of tomato, which causes rapid defoliation and lesions on fruit. Grafting tomato plants has the potential to increase plant vigor and yield; however, this effect is known to be dependent on multiple factors, including scion and geographic location. In this study, we evaluated the yield response of one determinate (‘Mountain Gem’) and four indeterminate (‘Mountain Heritage’, ‘Mountain Girl’, ‘Mountain Rouge’, and ‘NC10291’) late blight–resistant tomato cultivars, grafted on tomato rootstock ‘Maxifort’ or nongrafted, on a commercial farm and at two research facilities in western North Carolina. Yield of marketable fruit from grafted plants was greater than that from nongrafted plants at one location (P = 0.008); however, yield response of each cultivar, grafted or not grafted, differed by location. Yield was consistently greater from ‘Mountain Gem’ plants than other cultivars, and grafted ‘Mountain Gem’ plants had greater yields later in the season at two locations than nongrafted plants. Because of the late planting date intended to expose cultivars to the late blight pathogen, the full yield potential of the indeterminate cultivars was not realized at all locations. Disease severity caused by Verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae Kleb., Verticillium albo-atrum Reinke & Berthold) was lowest for cultivar Mountain Heritage at two of three locations. Results from this study emphasize the importance of conducting evaluations of grafted tomato plants at multiple locations, including on farm, to optimize the benefits associated with their use.

The effects of double-stemmed grafted tomato plants on yield and quality of tomato cultivation

In this study, the effect of the production of double-stemmed grafted and non-grafted tomato plants on yield and quality was investigated. Android F1 and Torry F1 tomato (S. lycopersicum L.) cultivars were grafted on “Classmate” tomato rootstock, and grafting was doneaccording to one or two stems for treatments. There were 12 plants in each treatment over 4 grafting and 2 varieties and the plants were provided seedling nursery. The number of stems left in tomato seedlings as grafted and non-grafted was taken as the basis. The plants which are consisting of two stems are formed from the cotyledon axillary buds. The grafting in the experiment were created as follows;.1- grafted-double stem: Shoots were formed with the development of cotyledon axillary buds, 2- Non-grafted-double stem: Shoots were formed with the development of cotyledon axillary buds on cultivars, 3- Grafted-single stem and 4- non-grafted-single stem (control) were formed. In the experiment conducted, the highest plant height (167.25 cm) was obtained from the control treatment and the highest stem diameter (16.58 mm) was obtained from the grafted double stem treatment. L and Hue angel values measured in fruit color of treatments were not statistically significant. The highest total soluble solids (4.46%) was obtained from the non-grafted double stem treatment. In terms of total yield, the highest value (12.27 kg m-2) was obtained in the control plants. The effect of double stem in cotyledon axillary buds on grafted tomato cultivation was found statistically significant on yield, and grafting with double stem decreased the yield, as compare to the control treatment.

Grafting for sustainable management of Fusarium wilt disease in tomato production in Ghana

Fusarium wilt disease limits tomato production, especially in Ghana. In managing the Fusarium wilt disease, two rootstocks (Solanum torvum and Solanum macrocarpon) were used in grafting experiments. Plant growth, yield, disease severity and incidence of both grafted plants, and non-grafted plants were evaluated in a pot experiment and also under a naturally infected open field condition at Berekum. During the early stage (14 days after inoculation) under artificial inoculation conditions, grafted plants exhibited higher photosynthetic rates (10.41 μmol−2s−1) compared to the non-grafted plants (8.36 μmol−2s−1). Under naturally infested field conditions, chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate of non-grafted plants decreased. Solanum lycopersicum grafted onto S. macrocarpon and S. torvum were moderately susceptible (20%–40%) to Fusarium oxysporum. However, the non-grafted plants were highly susceptible (50%–100%). Yield from the pot experiment for S. lycopersicum grafted onto S. macrocarpon was significantly higher (453.1 g/plant), compared to S. lycopersicum grafted onto S. torvum (350.3 g/plant) and the non-grafted plant (205 g/plant). However, in naturally infected field, the grafted plants increased in fruit yield compared to the non-grafted tomato plants. Solanum macrocarpon and S. torvum as rootstocks offered resistance against F. oxysporum and showed significantly lower disease progression, than the non-grafted plants (P < 0.05). This study revealed that grafting is an effective tool for the management of Fusarium wilt disease and for tomato growth and yield improvement.