Rootstock Effects on Yield and Some Consumer Important Fruit Quality Parameters of Eggplant cv. ‘Madonna’ under Protected Cultivation

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different rootstocks on the yield and quality of eggplant cv. ‘Madonna’ in soilless pot culture in an unheated polyethylene greenhouse. The eggplant was grafted onto several rootstocks, including tomato rootstocks Optifort (O) and Emperador (E), and four Solanum rootstocks; Solanum grandiflorum × Solanum melongena (SH), Solanum torvum (ST), Solanum melongena × Solanum integrifolium (SI), and Solanum integrifolium (A) compared with self-grafted (SG) and self-rooted (SR) as control. The results showed that the total marketable yield significantly increased by grafting onto ST (3.94 kg/plant), SH (3.36 kg/plant), and A (3.34 kg/plant) relative to SR (1.65 kg/plant). The chromatics characters of skin and pulp are slightly influenced by rootstocks. Our findings confirmed that grafting eggplant decreased firmness (except SH) of the flesh. Fruit harvested from the Optifort/Madonna combination had the rounded shape, lowest firmness, and Brix value, while the lowest oxidation potential was observed in this combination. The highest seed number was observed in SH/Madonna and SI/Madonna combinations. During the sensory evaluation, the lightest fruit flesh was found in SR, ST, and O, and the sweetest taste was observed in fruits harvested from ST rootstock.

Grafting as a Sustainable Means for Securing Yield Stability and Quality in Vegetable Crops

“…Sabatino and co-workers [12] demonstrated that grafting eggplant onto S. torvum or S. paniculatum boosted significantly the synthesis and concentration of antioxidant molecules, such as ascorbic and chlorogenic acids, and reduced the accumulation of glycoalkaloids. Similar results were also observed in eggplant grafted onto two tomato (Emperador and Optifort) and four Solanum (S. torvum, S. integrifolium, S. grandiflorum × S. melongena and S. melongena × S. integrifolium) rootstocks, which resulted in higher consumer fruit quality parameters compared to non-grafted and self-grafted plants [13]. Particularly, greenhouse eggplant grafted onto tomato rootstocks exhibited the lowest pulp color difference and oxidation potential, while the sweetest taste during the sensory evaluation was recorded in eggplant fruits harvested from plants grafted onto S. torvum.…”

Impact of wild solanaceae rootstocks on morphological and physiological response, yield, and fruit quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) grown under deficit irrigation conditions

“…Although, both productivity and quality of grafted vegetables may differ and be contradictory from the perspective of the grower and the consumer. Vegetable quality is defined primarily by characteristics such as texture, flavor (volatile aromas, acids, sugar) and the content of compounds that promote health (phenols, carotenoids, vitamins, minerals) or are harmful to health (nitrates, heavy metals and pesticides), all of which can be affected by the rootstock as a result of translocation of metabolites [ 76 , 77 ]. On the other hand, consumer demand determines the economic value and represents an essential aspect in the production of grafted vegetables [ 76 ].…”

“…Vegetable quality is defined primarily by characteristics such as texture, flavor (volatile aromas, acids, sugar) and the content of compounds that promote health (phenols, carotenoids, vitamins, minerals) or are harmful to health (nitrates, heavy metals and pesticides), all of which can be affected by the rootstock as a result of translocation of metabolites [ 76 , 77 ]. On the other hand, consumer demand determines the economic value and represents an essential aspect in the production of grafted vegetables [ 76 ]. [ 78 ]; concluded that abiotic stress improves certain quality attributes of harvested fruit, in selected wild selected rootstocks, which evidences an alternative to mitigate its undesirable impact.…”

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

“…Previously, several studies have been conducted to determine the impact of rootstocks on the plant growth, fruit yield, and quality of eggplants [18][19][20][21][22][23]. According to Wei et al [24], grafting eggplant cv.…”