Abstract
Grafted cucurbits are commonly grown in various Asian and European countries, but only rarely in North America. Disease control in fields where crop rotation cannot be practiced is a common justification for grafting cucurbits. In the present study, grafting is being examined as a methyl bromide alternative, which may allow cucurbits to be grown in fields where heavy disease pressure would make production of nongrafted cultivars impractical. A study with watermelons ( Citrullus lanatus ) grafted onto rootstocks of squash and gourd was conducted at Lane, Oklahoma in 2004. Treatments consisted of watermelon cultivars SF 800, SS 5244, SS 7167, SS 7177, and SS 7187 from Abbot & Cobb Seed Co., grown on their own roots, or grafted onto rootstocks of RS1330, RS1332, RS1420, or RS 1421. Controls consisted of nongrafted cultivars Sangria, Royal Sweet, Jubilee, and Jamboree. Two fields were planted, with three replications per field. Plants were grown on 1 m centers, with rows 3 m apart. Yields of grafted plants were generally equal to or greater than the nongrafted plants. Sugar content, measured as soluble solids, was affected minimally, if any, by grafting. Lycopene content of fruit from grafted plants was equal to, or marginally better than, fruit from nongrafted plants. Fruit firmness, as measured by a penetrometer, was significantly greater in the grafted fruit than in the nongrafted fruit. The firmest fruit occurred with SS 7167 scions, grafted onto RS 1420 rootstock, which had a value of about 2.0 × 10 5 Pascals. The nongrafted plants had values of about 1.0 × 10 5 Pascals, or less. Matching of scions with appropriate rootstocks was important, as interactions did occur. Certain combinations were significantly superior to other combinations. We estimate that the cost to purchase a grafted seedling plant from a seedling supplier would be $0.75 to $1.00, which would include the cost of the seed and the grafting operation. This cost would compare favorably with the cost of applying methyl bromide to the soil and then planting nongrafted seeds or transplants. Higher plant survival due to disease resistance along with planting fewer plants per hectare is anticipated with grafted plants. The high values in fruit firmness in grafted fruit should be of particular interest to the fresh-cut industry.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Grafted watermelon yield was generally equal to or greater than nongrafted yield.
- Taxon
- watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Treatment
- grafted plantse0
- Outcome
- Yieldse0
- Direction
- equal to or greater thane0
- Comparator
- nongrafted plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Yields of grafted plants were generally equal to or greater than the nongrafted plants”
t0“WATERMELON”
Claim · model-written summary
Grafting affected soluble solids minimally, if at all.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- graftinge0
- Outcome
- Sugar content, measured as soluble solidse0
- Direction
- affected minimally, if anye0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Sugar content, measured as soluble solids, was affected minimally, if any, by grafting”
t0“WATERMELON”
Claim · model-written summary
Lycopene in grafted fruit was equal to or marginally better than nongrafted fruit.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- grafted plantse0
- Outcome
- Lycopene contente0
- Direction
- equal to, or marginally better thane0
- Comparator
- nongrafted plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lycopene content of fruit from grafted plants was equal to, or marginally better than, fruit from nongrafted plants”
t0“WATERMELON”
Claim · model-written summary
Grafted fruit was significantly firmer than nongrafted fruit.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- grafted fruite0
- Outcome
- Fruit firmnesse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- nongrafted fruite0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fruit firmness, as measured by a penetrometer, was significantly greater in the grafted fruit than in the nongrafted fruit”
t0“WATERMELON”
Claim · model-written summary
SS 7167 on RS 1420 gave the firmest fruit, about 2.0 × 10 5 Pascals.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Material
- SS 7167e0
- Treatment
- grafted onto RS 1420 rootstocke0
- Outcome
- firmest fruite0
- Direction
- firmeste0
- Value
- about 2.0 × 10 5 Pascalse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The firmest fruit occurred with SS 7167 scions, grafted onto RS 1420 rootstock, which had a value of about 2.0 × 10 5 Pascals”
t0“WATERMELON”
Claim · model-written summary
Nongrafted fruit firmness was about 1.0 × 10 5 Pascals or less.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Material
- nongrafted plantse0
- Outcome
- valuese0
- Value
- about 1.0 × 10 5 Pascalse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The nongrafted plants had values of about 1.0 × 10 5 Pascals, or less”
t0“WATERMELON”
Claim · model-written summary
Scion and rootstock combinations interacted and some were significantly superior.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- Certain combinations were significantly superior to other combinationse0
- Direction
- superiore0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Matching of scions with appropriate rootstocks was important, as interactions did occur. Certain combinations were significantly superior to other combinations”
t0“WATERMELON”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors estimated grafted seedlings at $0.75 to $1.00 each.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- cost to purchase a grafted seedling plante0
- Value
- $0.75 to $1.00e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“We estimate that the cost to purchase a grafted seedling plant from a seedling supplier would be $0.75 to $1.00”
t0“WATERMELON”
Claim · model-written summary
Estimated grafted seedling cost compared favorably with methyl bromide application and nongrafted planting.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- coste0
- Direction
- compare favorablye0
- Comparator
- cost of applying methyl bromide to the soil and then planting nongrafted seeds or transplantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This cost would compare favorably with the cost of applying methyl bromide to the soil and then planting nongrafted seeds or transplants”
t0“WATERMELON”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors anticipated higher plant survival from disease resistance in grafted plants.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- grafted plantse0
- Outcome
- plant survivale0
- Direction
- Highere0
- Qualifier
- due to disease resistancee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Higher plant survival due to disease resistance along with planting fewer plants per hectare is anticipated with grafted plants”
t0“WATERMELON”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors anticipated fewer grafted plants planted per hectare.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- grafted plantse0
- Outcome
- plants per hectaree0
- Direction
- fewere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Higher plant survival due to disease resistance along with planting fewer plants per hectare is anticipated with grafted plants”
t0“WATERMELON”
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See all 23 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.