Abstract
Abstract Grafting on disease‐resistant rootstocks is a growing practice in watermelon cultivation worldwide. Reports on effects of grafting on watermelon fruit postharvest performance are scarce. The current work examined postharvest performance at 25 C of four diploid cultivars grown nongrafted or grafted onto three C ucurbita maxima × C . moschata rootstocks. Despite sucrose accumulation throughout storage at the expense of fructose and glucose, total soluble carbohydrates and soluble solids content declined. Lycopene content peaked 7 days postharvest and intensity of flesh color increased concomitantly; yellowing of flesh was detected at 14 days. Rootstocks reduced soluble solids content only in the second year of experiments by 0.8–1.0° B rix. Rootstocks improved postharvest flesh firmness and lycopene content and enhanced flesh color. Rind was minimally thickened by rootstocks and declined with storage. Grafting diploid cultivars on interspecific rootstocks improved fruit quality and storability. Potential reduction in soluble solids content in response to grafting is limited and not detrimental to fruit quality. Practical Applications Grafting on disease‐resistant rootstock has become an imperative for intensive watermelon production since chlorofluorocarbon‐based soil fumigants were banned from use. Accordingly, most information on the effects of grafting on watermelon fruit quality derives from rootstock selection studies with emphasis on disease resistance and field performance. However, impaired fruit quality, notably low flesh firmness, constitutes a common problem for the commercial summer crop of field‐cultivated watermelon with blame commonly placed on grafting. Moreover, watermelons worldwide are handled postharvest under adverse nonrefrigerated conditions. There remains, however, a paucity of information on the effects of grafting on watermelon postharvest performance. The main objective of this work was to assess the impact of cucurbit hybrid rootstocks, which constitute a major class of disease‐resistant commercial rootstocks, on quality and postharvest performance of watermelon. The results could be applicable to improve the quality and postharvest handling of the watermelon fruit.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Sucrose accumulated during storage while fructose and glucose declined.
- Taxon
- Watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Outcome
- sucrose accumulatione0
- Direction
- accumulatione0
- Qualifier
- throughout storagee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sucrose accumulation throughout storage at the expense of fructose and glucose”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Total soluble carbohydrates and soluble solids content declined during storage.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- total soluble carbohydrates and soluble solids contente0
- Direction
- declinede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“total soluble carbohydrates and soluble solids content declined”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Lycopene content peaked seven days after harvest.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- Lycopene contente0
- Direction
- peakede0
- Value
- 7 dayse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lycopene content peaked 7 days postharvest”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Flesh color intensity increased along with the lycopene peak.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- intensity of flesh colore0
- Direction
- increasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“intensity of flesh color increased concomitantly”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Flesh yellowing appeared at 14 days.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- yellowing of fleshe0
- Value
- 14 dayse0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“yellowing of flesh was detected at 14 days”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Rootstocks reduced soluble solids in the second year by 0.8–1.0 degrees Brix.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- Rootstockse0
- Outcome
- soluble solids contente0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 0.8–1.0° B rixe0
- Qualifier
- only in the second year of experimentse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Rootstocks reduced soluble solids content only in the second year of experiments by 0.8–1.0° B rix”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Rootstocks improved flesh firmness, lycopene content and flesh color after harvest.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- Rootstockse0
- Outcome
- postharvest flesh firmness and lycopene content and enhanced flesh colore0
- Direction
- improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Rootstocks improved postharvest flesh firmness and lycopene content and enhanced flesh color”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Rootstocks minimally thickened the rind.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- rootstockse0
- Outcome
- Rinde0
- Direction
- thickenede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Rind was minimally thickened by rootstocks”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Rind thickness declined with storage.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- Rinde0
- Direction
- declinede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Rind was minimally thickened by rootstocks and declined with storage”
t0“Watermelon”
The same questions in other papers
grafting · quality: phytochemicals · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Results differ
12 papers in the same direction as this paper · 6 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- positive
- positive
- no effect
16 papers more in this group
See all 20 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.