Agronomy

2024

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2021

17 pages, 3497 KiB

Open AccessArticle

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

by Thabit Alqardaeai, Abdulaziz Alharbi, Mekhled Alenazi, Abdulrasoul Alomran, Ahmed Elfeky, Mohamed Osman, Abdullah Obadi, Abdulhakim Aldubai, Nathaly Rodriguez Ortiz, Vanessa Melino, Mark Tester and Yveline Pailles

Agronomy 2024, 14(7), 1526; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14071526 - 13 Jul 2024

Viewed by 1000

Abstract

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 [...] Read more.

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. Full article

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13 pages, 5110 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Variation in Viral Tolerance of 21 Grapevine Rootstocks

by Mei Zhao, Lixia Peng, Cecilia B. Agüero, Gengsen Liu, Yuefeng Zhang, Andrew M. Walker and Zhenhua Cui

Agronomy 2024, 14(4), 651; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14040651 - 23 Mar 2024

Viewed by 1253

Abstract

Grapevine is one of the most economically important fruit crops cultivated worldwide. However, grapevine is highly susceptible to virus infections and exposed to the most diverse forms of viral diseases compared to other fruit crops, and virus-induced incompatibility affects plant growth to different [...] Read more.

Grapevine is one of the most economically important fruit crops cultivated worldwide. However, grapevine is highly susceptible to virus infections and exposed to the most diverse forms of viral diseases compared to other fruit crops, and virus-induced incompatibility affects plant growth to different degrees ranging from decline to death. The influence of virus-induced incompatibility could be mitigated to an acceptable level by using appropriate rootstocks. However, the viral tolerance of various grapevine rootstocks with diverse genetic backgrounds remains unclear, along with the identification of the specific viral tolerance factors. In this study, the viral tolerance of 21 grapevine rootstocks was evaluated in a green grafting system. Cabernet Franc varieties infected with a single virus [grapevine leafroll associated virus-1 (GLRaV-1)], a co-infection of two viruses (GLRaV-1 plus grapevine virus A—GVA), and no infection were used as the scions, respectively. The vegetative growth and photosynthetic function of the grafts were analyzed 4 months after grafting. The results indicated that some rootstocks could alleviate the influence of the virus infection, with vegetative growth and photosynthetic function sustained at a normal level, whereas other rootstocks were susceptible to the virus infection, resulting in a decline in the growth and photosynthetic function of the grafts. Our research provides evidence for the existence and diversity of viral tolerance among grapevine rootstocks, offering important information for appropriate rootstock selection in the establishment of new vineyards and in the breeding of grapevine rootstocks with enhanced viral tolerance. Full article

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2023

Jump to: 2024, 2022, 2021

15 pages, 1257 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Fruit Maturity and Quality of ‘Buckeye Gala’ Grown on a Diverse Panel of Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) Rootstocks in Western Maryland

by Md Shipon Miah, Chloe Hinson and Macarena Farcuh

Agronomy 2023, 13(10), 2528; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13102528 - 29 Sep 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1657

Abstract

Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is usually produced in the form of a rootstock grafted scion. Rootstocks have important effects on several horticultural attributes. However, the results are not consistent regarding sites and scion–rootstock combinations. The aim of this research was to characterize [...] Read more.

Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is usually produced in the form of a rootstock grafted scion. Rootstocks have important effects on several horticultural attributes. However, the results are not consistent regarding sites and scion–rootstock combinations. The aim of this research was to characterize the horticultural performance of ‘Buckeye Gala’ apple scion grafted onto ten rootstocks grown in Western Maryland during two harvest seasons. Our results demonstrated that, on average, tree size and yield in G.935, M.26 and G.969 rootstocks were 5–40% higher, but weight per fruit was 2–15% lower than in all other rootstocks. Fruit maturity was significantly delayed with increasingly vigorous rootstocks. There were no crop load differences. Overall, the assessed rootstocks were discriminated into seven significantly distinct clusters characterized by marked differences in vigor, yield, and fruit maturity. Moreover, significant correlations were obtained amongst all assessed variables. Rootstock impact must be considered when making management decisions in ‘Buckeye Gala’ fruit grown under Western Maryland conditions as they are critical in modulating fruit maturity and quality. Full article

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22 pages, 5352 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Rootstock on the Activity of Key Enzymes in Acid Metabolism and the Expression of Related Genes in ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ Grapes

by Meng Zhang, Ruiyun Yao, Ru Bai, Dengtao Gao, Baolong Zhao, Junli Sun, Yaqi Bao and Zhenglong Ouyang

Agronomy 2023, 13(8), 2068; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13082068 - 5 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1402

Abstract

The types and contents of organic acids in wine grapes determine wine quality. To explore the effects of different rootstocks on the acid metabolism of ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grapes, various perennial rootstock–scion combinations were used as experimental materials. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used [...] Read more.

The types and contents of organic acids in wine grapes determine wine quality. To explore the effects of different rootstocks on the acid metabolism of ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grapes, various perennial rootstock–scion combinations were used as experimental materials. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine citric acid, tartaric acid, and malic acid contents during fruit development. Succinic acid and oxalic acid contents and the activity of related enzymes were measured using spectrophotometry. The expression levels of related genes were measured using a real-time fluorescence quantitative method. The results showed that all four rootstock types significantly reduced oxalic acid and citric acid contents in the grapes, while increasing succinic acid content to varying degrees. Employing 110R, SO4, and Kangzhen3 rootstocks increased tartaric acid and malic acid contents. Enzyme activity analysis revealed that 110R, SO4, and Kangzhen3 rootstocks increased the NAD-MDH enzyme activity, which positively correlated with malic acid content. Simultaneously, these rootstocks reduced the NADP-ME enzyme activity level. NAD-MDH and PEPC gene expression levels were higher in ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grapes grafted with 110R, SO4, and Kangan3 rootstocks compared to control self-rooted seedlings. Grafting these three rootstocks enhanced malic acid accumulation in ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grapes. Full article

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2022

Jump to: 2024, 2023, 2021

16 pages, 3150 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Low-Temperature Tolerant Rootstocks on the Growth and Fruit Quality of Watermelon in Semi-Forcing and Retarding Culture

by Yoonah Jang, Ji-Hye Moon, Sang-Gyu Kim, Taebok Kim, Oak-Jin Lee, Hee-Ju Lee and Seung-Hwan Wi

Agronomy 2023, 13(1), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13010067 - 25 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2302

Abstract

Watermelon grafting is practiced in order to improve tolerance to poor environments such as low temperature. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of low-temperature tolerant bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) rootstocks on the growth and fruit quality of watermelon in [...] Read more.

Watermelon grafting is practiced in order to improve tolerance to poor environments such as low temperature. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of low-temperature tolerant bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) rootstocks on the growth and fruit quality of watermelon in semi-forcing and retarding culture where plants were exposed to low or high temperature. Five bottle gourd accessions (FR79, IT207112, BG702, BG703, and FRD22) with low temperature tolerance were evaluated as rootstock for the watermelon scion ‘Sambokkul’. Non-grafted watermelon and watermelon grafted onto commercial rootstock ‘Shintozwa’ (Cucurbita maxima D. × C. moschata D.) or ‘Bullojangsaeng’ (L. siceraria) were used as controls. Watermelons were cultivated in spring (April to June, semi-forcing culture) and autumn (August to October, retarding culture). The responses to low-temperature, growth, yield, and fruit quality differed depending on the rootstocks and growing season. In semi-forcing culture, the monthly averages of daily and minimum temperature in April were, respectively, 13.4 and 1.5 °C. Although the low temperature of the early growth stage suppressed the initial growth of watermelons, grafting mitigated the low-temperature stress. The fruit quality of non-grafted watermelons was greater, but the fruit mass was the lowest (4.8 kg). Grafting onto ‘Shintozwa’ increased the fruit weight (7.0 kg) but reduced the fruit quality. Grafting onto bottle gourd rootstocks had high affinity, good root growth, tolerance to low temperature, and little effect on fruit quality. In retarding culture, the temperature conditions in early and late growth were very high and low, respectively. The growth and fruit quality of grafted watermelons were not superior to those of non-grafted watermelons. Accordingly, these results suggest that watermelon grafting onto the bottle gourd rootstocks may increase the low-temperature tolerance, especially in the early growth stage, and the marketable yield without a reduction in fruit quality. The most promising accession for this purpose was found to be ‘FR79’. Full article

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16 pages, 1308 KiB

Open AccessReview

Compatible Graft Establishment in Fruit Trees and Its Potential Markers

by Prakash Babu Adhikari, Qiang Xu and Michitaka Notaguchi

Agronomy 2022, 12(8), 1981; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12081981 - 22 Aug 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4755

Abstract

Plant grafting is a maneuver humans learned from nature and has been practiced since ancient times. The technique has long been applied for efficient propagation as well as for the modification of the traits of interest, such as stress tolerance, tree size, and [...] Read more.

Plant grafting is a maneuver humans learned from nature and has been practiced since ancient times. The technique has long been applied for efficient propagation as well as for the modification of the traits of interest, such as stress tolerance, tree size, and fruit quality. Since grafting can enhance the environmental tolerance and disease resistance of a plant, its techniques are now used not only in tree species but also among vegetables. Despite such wide advantages of grafting, however, the potential cause behind a compatible graft establishment (scion-rootstock connection) is yet to be fully understood. As compared to succulent herbaceous plants, woody plants often take a longer time for the graft-take and the plants may exhibit incompatible/unsuccessful graft-establishment symptoms within a period ranging from months to years. In this review, we discuss factors involved in a successful/compatible graft establishment along with bottlenecks of our understanding and future perspectives in a simplified manner- particularly focusing on incompatible graft formation on fruit trees based on earlier studies in the field. Full article

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13 pages, 382 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving Bell Pepper Crop Performance and Fruit Quality under Suboptimal Calcium Conditions by Grafting onto Tolerant Rootstocks

by Lidia López-Serrano, Ángeles Calatayud, Mariateresa Cardarelli, Giuseppe Colla and Youssef Rouphael

Agronomy 2022, 12(7), 1644; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12071644 - 8 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2308

Abstract

Calcium deficiency or its inefficient translocation to pepper fruits leads to considerable economic loss by reducing the number of marketable fruits. The present study proposes grafting as an environmentally friendly technique to effectively reduce such loss. A commercial variety (Al-cudia F1; V) was [...] Read more.

Calcium deficiency or its inefficient translocation to pepper fruits leads to considerable economic loss by reducing the number of marketable fruits. The present study proposes grafting as an environmentally friendly technique to effectively reduce such loss. A commercial variety (Al-cudia F1; V) was grafted onto two pepper (Capsicum annum L.) accessions (V/A6 and V/A8), a hybrid rootstock (V/N) and was also self-grafted (V/V). All rootstock–scion combinations were cultivated under greenhouse conditions with optimal and suboptimal Ca supply and assessed for fruit yield and biomass production, gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence, mineral concentration in leaves and fruits as well as several fruit quality parameters. The V/N plants demonstrated an enhanced capacity for increased biomass, higher yield and number of commercial fruits and greater mean fruit weight compared with the other rootstock–scion combinations. These improvements are attributed primarily to increased intrinsic water efficiency. Additionally, a significantly higher Ca concentration in leaves was found under suboptimal Ca conditions in the V/N combination than that found in the other rootstock–scion combinations indicating a higher capacity for Ca uptake and translocation. Under the same conditions, the concentration of organic acids in fruits, such as citric and tartaric, which impact the organoleptic quality, was also higher in V/N plants. Consequently, we can conclude that grafting pepper onto tolerant rootstocks is a successful tool for ameliorating the negative impact of suboptimal Ca conditions on pepper crop performance and fruit quality. Full article

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18 pages, 2777 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Phenomics to Elucidate the Influence of Rootstocks on Drought Response of Tomato

by Pratapsingh S. Khapte, Pradeep Kumar, Goraksha C. Wakchaure, Krishna Kumar Jangid, Giuseppe Colla, Mariateresa Cardarelli and Jagadish Rane

Agronomy 2022, 12(7), 1529; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12071529 - 26 Jun 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2657

Abstract

The cultivation of nutritionally and economically important crops like tomato are often threatened by dry spells due to drought as these crops largely depend on an assured water supply. The magnitude and intensity of drought is predicted to intensify under climate change scenarios, [...] Read more.

The cultivation of nutritionally and economically important crops like tomato are often threatened by dry spells due to drought as these crops largely depend on an assured water supply. The magnitude and intensity of drought is predicted to intensify under climate change scenarios, particularly in semi-arid regions, where water is already a scarce resource. Hence, it is imperative to devise strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of drought on tomato through improvement in the plant’s efficiency to utilise the moisture in the growth medium. Since the root is the entry point for water, its intrinsic structure and functions play a crucial role in maintaining the soil–water–plant continuum during moisture deficit at the rhizosphere. Grafting offers a great opportunity to replace the root system of the cultivated tomato plants with that of wild species and hence provide a rapid solution to modulate root system architecture in contrast to the time-consuming conventional breeding approach. However, the success in developing the best graft combination of cultivated tomato and rootstock depends on the source of rootstock and selection methods. In this study, we used a high throughput phenomics facility to assess the efficiency of tomato, grafted on the rootstocks of different genetic backgrounds, at different levels of moisture in the soil. Rootstocks included tomato cultivars and the hybrids, derived from the crosses involving wild relatives, as donor parents. Among the rootstocks, an interspecific (Solanum lycopersicum × S. pennellii) derivative RF4A was highly efficient in terms of productive use of water. The RF4A rootstock-grafted plants were more conservative in water use with higher plant water status through relatively better stomatal regulation and hence were more efficient in generating greater biomass under water stress conditions. These plants could maintain a higher level of PSII efficiency, signifying better photosynthetic efficiency even under water stress. The distinct response of interspecific rootstock, RF4A, to water stress can be ascribed to the effective root system acquired from a wild parent (S. pennellii), and hence efficient water uptake. Overall, we demonstrated the efficient use of a phenomics platform and developed a protocol to identify promising rootstock–scion combinations of tomato for optimization of water use. Full article

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17 pages, 3334 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Yield, Flower Quality, and Photo-Physiological Responses of Cut Rose Flowers Grafted onto Three Different Rootstocks in Summer Season

by O-Hyeon Kwon and Hyo-Gil Choi

Agronomy 2022, 12(6), 1468; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12061468 - 18 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3001

Abstract

The thermal stress caused by high temperatures on cut rose flowers grown in greenhouses is a major environmental impact that reduces the yield of growing cut rose flowers during summer. To confirm the resistance of grafted cut rose flowers to high-temperature stress, roses [...] Read more.

The thermal stress caused by high temperatures on cut rose flowers grown in greenhouses is a major environmental impact that reduces the yield of growing cut rose flowers during summer. To confirm the resistance of grafted cut rose flowers to high-temperature stress, roses were grown in a greenhouse during the summer season and analyzed for yield, quality, root activity, and photo-physiological characteristics. A morphological change was observed in the stomata of the grafted cut rose flowers, which were larger in size than the scion or rootstocks. As a result of cultivating cut rose flowers by lowering the temperature of the greenhouse through shading in summer, it was confirmed that all of the scions, rootstocks, and grafted cut rose flowers were not in a stressed state by observing the maximal quantum yield of primary photochemistry (F_V/F_M) values on the chlorophyll-a fluorescence. However, the rate of electron transport flux from the primary acceptor (Q_A) to the secondary acceptor (Q_B) per the photosystem II reaction center (ET₀/RC) value was found to be significantly higher on grafted cut rose flowers, compared with that of the scions. The efficiencies of the photosynthesis rate, the transpiration rate, and the stomatal conductance were increased when grafted compared with non-grafted. When the root activity was confirmed by the formazan content, it was found that the root activity was improved grafting. Furthermore, when grafted, morphological changes such as flower size and the number of petals on spray roses were also observed. Although there was a difference depending on the type of rootstock, the yield of the grafted cut rose flowers increased by 11–20%, compared with the scion rose. Therefore, grafting cultivation during the summer season with high temperatures is an effective method in terms of photo-physiological response and yield. Full article

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17 pages, 1341 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physiological and Agronomical Responses of ‘Vairo’ Almond and ‘Big Top’ Nectarine Cultivars Grafted onto Different Prunus Rootstocks and Grown under Semiarid Mediterranean Conditions

by Gemma Reig, Ignasi Iglesias, Lourdes Zazurca, Laura Torguet, Guillem Martinez and Xavier Miarnau

Agronomy 2022, 12(4), 821; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12040821 - 28 Mar 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2661

Abstract

Two trials were conducted under Mediterranean conditions to monitor several physiological indicators before harvest (leaf chlorophyll concentration, quantum yield of photosystem II electron transport, stem water potential, and stomatal conductance) and some agronomic performance parameters before and at harvest (vigor, fruit growth, fruit [...] Read more.

Two trials were conducted under Mediterranean conditions to monitor several physiological indicators before harvest (leaf chlorophyll concentration, quantum yield of photosystem II electron transport, stem water potential, and stomatal conductance) and some agronomic performance parameters before and at harvest (vigor, fruit growth, fruit size, fruit weight, and yield), of ‘Vairo’ almond and ‘Big Top’ nectarine cultivars grafted onto eight Prunus rootstocks, six of which are common in both cultivars. For both ‘Vairo’ almond and ‘Big Top’ nectarine cultivars, factors including rootstock, date, and the interaction between rootstock and date, from fruit set to harvest were evaluated. Significantly affected were certain physiological and agronomical traits which were evaluated before harvest, with stem water potential being the parameter affected by interaction in both cultivars. In fact, the stem water potential presented low levels in Rootpac-20 and high levels in Rootpac-40 for both cultivars. With regard to the other physiological traits evaluated during the growing period, changes in stomatal conductance were observed in ‘Vairo’, but not in ‘Big Top’. Comparing rootstocks throughout the season, Rootpac-40 and IRTA-1 exhibited the highest stomatal conductance values, whereas the lowest was observed in Rootpac-R; Rootpac-20 and Ishtara also presented low values. Regarding agronomical traits at harvest, GF-677 and IRTA-1 produced high yields for ‘Vairo’ almond cultivar, whereas Rootpac-40 and Ishtara performed better with ‘Big Top’ nectarine cultivar. Full article

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21 pages, 1970 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards Better Grafting: SCoT and CDDP Analyses for Prediction of the Tomato Rootstocks Performance under Drought Stress

by Mohamed M. El-Mogy, Mohamed A. M. Atia, Faten Dhawi, Ahmed S. Fouad, Eslam S. A. Bendary, Ebtihal Khojah, Bassem N. Samra, Karima F. Abdelgawad, Mohamed F. M. Ibrahim and Emad A. Abdeldaym

Agronomy 2022, 12(1), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12010153 - 8 Jan 2022

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 2691

Abstract

This study aims to predict the behavior of different tomato rootstocks under drought stress conditions. SCoT and CDDP analyses were employed to characterize the genetic relatedness among a commercial drought-sensitive tomato hybrid (cv. Bark) and four wild tomato accessions (LA2711, LA1995, LA3845, and [...] Read more.

This study aims to predict the behavior of different tomato rootstocks under drought stress conditions. SCoT and CDDP analyses were employed to characterize the genetic relatedness among a commercial drought-sensitive tomato hybrid (cv. Bark) and four wild tomato accessions (LA2711, LA1995, LA3845, and LA4285) known for their tolerance to adverse conditions. The Bark plants were grafted onto the aforementioned wild accessions and self-grafted as control, and then the behavior of all graft unions was followed under normal and drought stress conditions. Our results showed a general genotype-dependent better growth and yield of heterografts than autografts under all growth conditions. Furthermore, clustering analysis based on growth, yield quantity and quality traits, and the leaf content of minerals, ABA, GA3, and proline, in addition to the activity of APX, POD, and DHAR reflected the same grouping pattern of the studied rootstocks exhibited by SCoT and CDDP. The identical grouping pattern supports the utilization of SCoT and CDDP as a robust screening tool helpful to predict the physiological and agronomical behavior of grafting on different tomato rootstocks. Furthermore, grafting could be a cost-efficient alternative method to improve drought tolerance in sensitive tomato genotypes. Full article

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2021

Jump to: 2024, 2023, 2022

14 pages, 609 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Combined Influence of Grafting and Type of Protected Environment Structure on Agronomic and Physiological Traits of Single- and Cluster-Fruit-Bearing Cucumber Hybrids

by Pratapsingh Suresh Khapte, Pradeep Kumar, Nav Raten Panwar, Uday Burman, Youssef Rouphael and Praveen Kumar

Agronomy 2021, 11(8), 1604; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11081604 - 12 Aug 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2517

Abstract

Protected vegetable cultivation is a fast-growing sector in which grafting plays a crucial role for success. Cucumber is predominantly grown under protected conditions. The popular slicing (mini) cucumber comprises two segments, single- and cluster-fruit-bearing. In the present study, the performance of select fruit-bearing [...] Read more.

Protected vegetable cultivation is a fast-growing sector in which grafting plays a crucial role for success. Cucumber is predominantly grown under protected conditions. The popular slicing (mini) cucumber comprises two segments, single- and cluster-fruit-bearing. In the present study, the performance of select fruit-bearing hybrids grafted as scions onto commercial Cucurbita hybrid rootstock ‘NS-55’ was evaluated under three different low-cost protected structures in arid regions. With respect to type of protected structure, cucumber performance was superior under a naturally ventilated polyhouse (NVP) than an insect net house (INH) or a shade net house (SNH). Micro-climate parameters inside NVP (air temperature, RH and PAR) were more congenial for cucumber than those in net houses, thereby facilitating improved physiology (chlorophyll fluorescence, chlorophyll and plant water potential) and leaf mineral status. Grafting invariably improved growth and yield parameters under all protected structures. Overall plant performance was better in the grafted cluster-fruit-bearing hybrid ‘Terminator’ than the single-fruit-bearing hybrid ‘Nefer’ or their non-grafted counterparts. Furthermore, NVP was found to be superior to net houses for water productivity, and grafted plants were more water use efficient than their counterpart non-grafted plants. Thus, NVP can be considered a suitable low-cost protected structure in conjunction with grafting to boost cucumber crop and water productivity in arid regions. Full article

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21 pages, 641 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Productive Characteristics and Fruit Quality Traits of Cherry Tomato Hybrids as Modulated by Grafting on Different Solanum spp. Rootstocks under Ralstonia solanacearum Infested Greenhouse Soil

by Sanmathi A.T.S. Naik, Shivanand Hongal, Mahantesh Harshavardhan, Kalegowda Chandan, Aravinda J.S. Kumar, Ashok, Marios C. Kyriacou, Youssef Rouphael and Pradeep Kumar

Agronomy 2021, 11(7), 1311; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11071311 - 28 Jun 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4344

Abstract

Grafting is increasingly becoming an indispensable tool that minimizes the risks associated with intensive vegetable production systems, including soil-borne diseases. This study assesses the performance of two cherry tomato hybrids (‘Cheramy’ and ‘Sheeja’) grafted onto three tomato and five eggplant local rootstock genotypes [...] Read more.

Grafting is increasingly becoming an indispensable tool that minimizes the risks associated with intensive vegetable production systems, including soil-borne diseases. This study assesses the performance of two cherry tomato hybrids (‘Cheramy’ and ‘Sheeja’) grafted onto three tomato and five eggplant local rootstock genotypes (cultivated/wild) under Ralstonia solanacearum (bacterial wilt)-infested greenhouse soil. The impact of grafting on growth, yield and fruit physical quality was mainly influenced by the response of rootstocks to disease resistance. The non-grafted plants of both the cultivars were severely affected by bacterial wilt, thus presenting high susceptibility to disease. Eggplant rootstocks imparted moderate to high resistance against bacterial wilt in both the scions, while tomato (cultivated or wild) rootstocks did not improve disease resistance, except ‘Anagha’, which provided resistance to scion cv. ‘Cheramy’. In general, scion cv. ‘Cheramy’, grafted or non-grafted, showed superior growth, yield and fruit quality compared to ‘Sheeja’. The most productive graft combinations for both the cultivars involved resistant rootstocks, i.e., ‘Sheeja’ onto eggplant rootstock ‘Surya’, and ‘Cheramy’ onto tomato rootstock ‘Anagha’. Fruit quality attributes such as ascorbic acid and lycopene contents were considerably higher, and the total soluble solids (TSS) content was considerably lower in scion cv. ‘Cheramy’, whether grafted or non-grafted, than those involving scion cv. ‘Sheeja’. The grafting effect on fruit chemical quality attributes was not promising, except grafting ‘Sheeja’ onto ‘Sopim’ for TSS, ‘Sheeja’ onto ‘Sotor’ for lycopene and ‘Cheramy’ onto ‘Ponny’ for total phenols, though no clear connection with disease incidence was in these grafts. Conclusively, eggplant rootstock imparted wilt resistance, while both eggplant and tomato rootstock grafting was beneficial to both scion cultivars in boosting the overall production and economic gains, especially for ‘Cheramy’ grafted onto ‘Anagha’ rootstock under bacterial wilt infested soil of greenhouse. Full article

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18 pages, 8785 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physio-Anatomical Study of Polyploid Watermelon Grafted by Different Methods

by Mohamed Omar Kaseb, Muhammad Jawad Umer, Eftekhar Mahmud, Muhammad Anees, Weinan Diao, Pingli Yuan, Hongju Zhu, Shengjie Zhao, Xuqiang Lu, Nan He, Eman El-remaly and Wenge Liu

Agronomy 2021, 11(5), 913; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11050913 - 6 May 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3139

Abstract

Watermelon is one of the most desirable vegetable crops in the world. Recently, grafting is common in watermelons worldwide, but not all grafting methods are compatible with polyploids. In this study, diploid, triploid, and tetraploid from one watermelon variety, “Mi Mei”, were grafted [...] Read more.

Watermelon is one of the most desirable vegetable crops in the world. Recently, grafting is common in watermelons worldwide, but not all grafting methods are compatible with polyploids. In this study, diploid, triploid, and tetraploid from one watermelon variety, “Mi Mei”, were grafted on the “Xijiaqiangsheng” squash rootstock to study the effect of genome duplication on graft compatibility. Three grafting methods (splice, hole, and tongue) were used to determine graft compatibility. Significant differences in survival rates, hormones, antioxidants (AOX), sugars, and starch contents were observed between compatible/incompatible combinations. Compatible combinations with high survival rates showed high levels of hormones, AOX, carbohydrates, and low hydrogen peroxide H₂O₂ compared to incompatible plants. The hole grafting method was more efficient with diploid, while splice was efficient with a tetraploid, and both methods can be used for triploid. Compatibility is a combined effect of hormone, carbohydrate, and antioxidant activities. We predict that compatibility is a complex process and that further molecular studies must be performed to dig deep into this phenomenon. Full article

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