Nutritional Quality of Field-grown Tomato Fruit as Affected by Grafting with Interspecific Hybrid Rootstocks

Abstract

<jats:p>In this study, the effects of grafting with interspecific hybrid rootstocks on field-grown tomato fruit quality were evaluated over a 2-year period. Fruit quality attributes from determinate ‘Florida 47’ tomato plants grafted onto either ‘Beaufort’ or ‘Multifort’ rootstocks were compared with those from non- and self-grafted controls. Grafted plants had higher fruit yields than non- and self-grafted plants, and increased production of marketable fruit by ≈41%. The increased yield was accompanied by few major differences in nutritional quality attributes measured for these fruit. Although grafting with the interspecific rootstocks led to consistently small, but significant increases of fruit moisture (≈0.6%), flavor attributes such as total titratable acidity (TTA) and the ratio of soluble solids content (SSC) to TTA were not significantly altered. Among the antioxidants evaluated, ascorbic acid concentration was reduced by 22% in fruit from grafted plants, but significant effects were not evident for either total phenolics or antioxidant capacity as assayed by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Levels of carotenoids (lycopene, β-carotene, and lutein) were similar in fruit from grafted plants with hybrid rootstocks compared with non- and self-grafted controls. Overall, the seasonal differences outweighed the grafting effects on fruit quality attributes. This study showed that grafting with interspecific hybrid rootstocks could be an effective horticultural technique for enhancing fruit yield of tomato plants. Despite the modest reduction in ascorbic acid content associated with the use of these rootstocks, grafting did not cause major negative impacts on fruit composition or nutritional quality of fresh-market tomatoes.</jats:p>

Effect of shading and grafting on yield and quality of tomato

“…For example, tomato cv. ‘Florida 47’, grafted on ‘Beaufort’ and ‘Multifort’ rootstocks, increased the marketable fruit yield by up to 41% . A significant decrease in the yield and number of fruit was observed when eggplant rootstock was used…”

“…'Florida 47', grafted on 'Beaufort' and 'Multifort' rootstocks, increased the marketable fruit yield by up to 41%. 28 A significant decrease in the yield and number of fruit was observed when eggplant rootstock was used. 10 Krumbein and Schwarz 7 reported that tomato yield was significantly reduced under shading, thus the commercial rootstocks were not able to enhance the yield reduction.…”

Vegetable Grafting: The Implications of a Growing Agronomic Imperative for Vegetable Fruit Quality and Nutritive Value

“…Tomato fruit contains significant amounts of ascorbic acid, and several studies showed that fruit content strongly reduced by grafting both in greenhouse and field studies (Fernández-García et al, 2004a,b; Arvanitoyannis et al, 2005; Di Gioia et al, 2010; Vinkovic-Vrcek et al, 2011; Djidonou et al, 2016; Riga et al, 2016). Fruit vitamin C content was reduced in soil cultivation of different tomato scions grafted onto ‘Heman,’ ‘Spirit,’ ‘Arnold,’ ‘Beaufort’ (Qaryouti et al, 2007; Turhan et al, 2011) and in hydroponics using ‘Maxifort,’ ‘Interpro,’ or ‘King Kong’ rootstocks (Riga et al, 2016).…”

Peer Review #2 of "Survival of side grafts with scions from pure species Pinus engelmannii Carr. and the P. engelmannii × P. arizonica Engelm. var. arizonica hybrid (v0.1)"

“…The importance of the study of forest areas that have experienced hybridization has be pointed out, especially in order to identify the advantages of using hybrids for adaptation to extreme environments in which pure species trees have less vigor, a solution that can be used in reforestation programs (Zobel & Talbert, 1984;López-Upton et al, 2001;Wachowiak et al, 2016). Several studies also indicate that the vigor in plant species may be greater in hybrid offspring, at least in the first generation of hybridization (Djidonou et al, 2016;Xu et al, 2016;Zhang et al, 2019). Ávila-Flores et al (2016a) in their work on hybrid stands of trees in Durango, Mexico, in which the degree of hybridization between Pinus engelmannii x P. arizonica was studied, indicate that these hybrids may have the potential for adaptation in drought conditions.…”

“…In grafting, the use of hybrids has been studied in conifer species (Marchal et al, 2017;Kita et al, 2018), however, in pines, it has not been studied much (Lott et al, 2003). In contrast, some plants, such as tomato and watermelon have been studied extensively, and survival levels greater than 80% have been reported (Djidonou et al, 2016;Xu et al, 2016;Zhang et al, 2019). Survival models are very useful to make predictions about the probability of survival and death through the time, as a function of two or more treatments (Kleinbaum & Klein, 2002;Zhang, 2016).…”