Tomato Fruit Yield and Quality as Affected by Grafting and Shading

Abstract

In the present study, tomato (grafted and nongrafted) was grown in the soil under net-house cover by pearl and red nets (50% shade index) or un-shade condition (open field-control). Commercial tomato cultivars ('Optima F1' and 'Big Beef F1') were used to determine whether grafting (Maxifort rootstock) could prevent decrease of fruit weight and quality under light stress conditions. Nongrafted 'Optima F1' and 'Big Beef F1' was used as a control plants. Total yield of grafted plants was higher (51.0%) than non-grafted only in 'Optima F1'. Shading maintained 30-40% higher marketable yield (reduced the amount of pysiological disorders) than plants from non-shaded conditions in both cultivars. Among the fruit components, lycopene, ascorbic acid, phenols, total sugar and citric acids concentrations and ratio of sugar and acid content were examined. In every case the values of these parameters were lower in the fruits from grafted plants than those from ungrafted ones, meaning that the increase of the yield quantity caused the decrease of main fruit components. The decrease of bioactive compounds had a similar trend and intensity, though some inter-color shade variation was observed. Fruits from shading plants under red nets obtained highest lycopene content in both grafted and non-grafted plants.

Effect of different rootstocks and scion ages on the productivity of screenhouse grown tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

“…Specifically, T7 produced the sweetest fruit among all treatments, consistent with findings by Ahmad, et al [4] where the Brix reading for sandal cultivars grafted onto mocow (black nightshade) was significantly different from sandal cultivars grafted onto brinjal (eggplant) rootstock and non-grafted sandal. Moreover, in the Milenkovic, et al [6] study, sugar reductions due to grafting ranged from minor (2.3%) in cv. Beef F1 to substantial (30.3%) in cv.…”