Everything for everything and a little more. Test of grafting of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants

Grafted tomato seedlings
Tomato grafting

It is a gardening technique that has been used throughout the world in Asia and Europe for greenhouse and high tunnel production and is gaining popularity in the United States.[1] Typically, stock or rootstock is selected for its ability to resist infection by certain soil pathogens or its ability to increase vigor and fruit yield. The grafted tomato offspring represents the upper part of the plant and is selected according to the quality characteristics of the fruit. There are several ways to graft tomatoes, and they have certain advantages and disadvantages. Once the grafts are made, the plants are moved to a chamber or environment with high relative humidity (>90%) and low light levels to reduce water stress on the scion while the graft union is forming.

History of vegetable grafting

Grafting from woody plants has been common for centuries, but grafting from herbaceous plants has only recently become popular in agricultural systems. The cultivation of grafted vegetable plants began in Korea and Japan in the late 1920s, when watermelon plants were grafted onto pressed rootstock[1]. Since that time, this technique has spread throughout Asia and Europe. Currently, 81% of Korean and 54% of Japanese vegetable production use grafting.[2] This growing method is used primarily for intensive farming systems such as greenhouse and tunnel production. This method is especially popular for growing vegetables in the East, and the number of vegetables in 1998 was estimated at 540 million transplants in Korea and 750 million in Japan.[3] This technique carried over to the Mediterranean region, where the use of grafting was proposed as a major component of an integrated management strategy to control soil-borne diseases and improve crop yields. Production of tomato transplants increased in Spain from less than one million plants in 1999–2000 to over 45 million plants in 2003–2004. Grafted tomatoes are also grown in France and Italy, and more than 20 million tomato plants were grafted in Morocco in 2004 as a way to reduce soil-borne diseases and increase crop yields.[4]

Grafting can occur on many crops. However, due to the additional costs, it is usually associated with melons, cucurbits, and members of the Solanaceae family such as eggplant and tomato. Tomato grafting became popular in the 1960s as a way to reduce some diseases caused by soil-borne plant pathogens such as Raletonia solanacearum

[1]. However, grafting is now used not only for protection against certain diseases, but also for resistance to abiotic stresses such as floods, drought and salinity. [2].

How is splicing carried out?

The grafting is carried out in cloudy weather or in the afternoon, so that after the procedure the tomatoes recover from stress in the twilight. For this purpose, you can shade the grafted plants with lutrasil or tulle.

To work, you will need a blade or a thin stationery knife. The blade of the instrument is wiped with a swab soaked in vodka. To connect the stems and secure them in this position, use a narrow bandage, a strip of cotton fabric, or a thick woolen thread.

A piece of film, electrical tape, or synthetic fabric cannot be used! These materials do not allow air and moisture to pass through, and the graft may rot.

How to plant tomatoes step by step:

1. From the tomato bushes growing nearby, choose the one that will serve as a scion and the one that will act as a rootstock. The above-ground part of the rootstock is removed after the shoots have fused, so a seedling with a damaged crown can act in this capacity.
2. Using a blade, carefully make zigzag cuts on the stems, resembling a “tongue”. This “tongue” looks up on the rootstock, and down on the scion. The skin at the junction of the tomatoes is removed from the stem. The depth of the cut is no more than 2 mm; it is important not to break the delicate stem of the tomato.
3. The cuts on the two stems are combined by inserting the “tongues” into each other.
4. The graft is fixed with a piece of cloth or thread. The stems need to be tied tightly, but not too tightly. Plant sap should circulate freely throughout the plant.

The grafted tomatoes are watered and placed in semi-darkness for several days to allow growth to proceed undisturbed. Some gardeners build a small greenhouse over the plants so as not to dry out the leaves.

Fruit yield

The first transplants in the early 20th century were done to reduce attacks by infectious organisms such as Fusarium oxysporum

on watermelons. [2] However, research has shown that this method can be effective against a variety of fungal, bacterial, popular, and nematode diseases.[5] In addition, many researchers are seeking to use certain rootstocks as an alternative to methyl bromide, a soil fumigant widely used until recently.[4] Grafting has proven to be very effective in overcoming abiotic sources of stress such as soil salinity, temperature changes and excessive soil moisture.[2] Grafting has also been used to reduce the effects of flooding in areas likely to experience the monsoon.[6]

Grafting tomatoes with resistant rootstocks has proven very effective in producing salinity-tolerant plants. Research shows that some rootstocks prevent the movement of sodium and chloride into shoots.[7] Many of the most economically important vegetable crops, such as tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and watermelons, are very sensitive to heat stress in the roots during vegetative development and reproduction. Regardless of whether high- or low-temperature-tolerant rootstock is used, the use of temperature-tolerant rootstocks often results in an extension of the growing season in either direction, resulting in increased yields and economic stability throughout the year.[2] Although vegetable grafting is generally associated with a reduction in disease or abiotic stress, yields often increase without the presence of these identified sources of stress.

In tomatoes, increased fruit yield usually results from increased fruit size.[8] Research has shown that possible mechanisms for increased yield are likely due to increased water and nutrient uptake among vigorous rootstock genotypes. Conduction through the stoma has been improved in tomato plants when grafted onto vigorous rootstock.[7] Nutrient absorption of macronutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, were enhanced by grafting.[9][10]

Advantages and disadvantages of the method

Growing tomato seedlings between 2-4 plants is called ablation. The point of the procedure is to obtain a strong tomato with powerful roots. Due to the increased feeding area, the vegetable crop not only grows quickly, but also tolerates interruptions in watering and fertilizing more easily.

Gardeners who used this method of cultivation appreciated the benefits of ablation:

• the tomato is actively increasing its above-ground mass;
• plant immunity and stress resistance increases;
• fruit yield increases by a third;
• tomatoes become larger and ripen faster.

It makes sense to use ablactation on tall tomatoes so that the increase in yield is noticeable. For growing with two roots, weak seedlings are often taken, which with standard agricultural technology will not give a significant harvest.

The disadvantage of the procedure is its complexity. It is difficult for an inexperienced gardener who does not know how to graft to decide to carry out splicing.

The period of stopping the growth of a tomato after grafting lasts about a week, sometimes more. According to numerous reviews and advice from gardeners, it is not recommended to pick seedlings intended for splicing in order to reduce the disease time to a minimum.

With a large number of tomato seedlings, grafting will take a lot of time. This growing method is used in small farms where several dozen plants are planted.

Methods of grafting tomatoes

There are many ways to graft vegetable crops. Cleft grafting occurs when a V-shape is cut into the rootstock and a complementary wedge graft is inserted. The graft is then held in place with a small clamp until it heals.[11] The grafting approach involves cutting opposite sides of the rootstock and scion stems, then using a clamp to hold the stems together while they grow together. Once the graft has healed, the original shoot is cut from the desired rootstock and the unused rootstock is separated from the scion.[12] Micro-grafting is a new method that has recently been integrated into hybrid tomato production for micropropagation. This method uses micropropagated scion shoots grafted onto three-week-old rootstock seedlings.[13] The most common commercial method of tomato grafting is tube grafting. Tube grafting occurs when the scion and rootstock are separated as seedlings and reattached to a small, silicone tube or clamp.[14][15] This method has proven to be very effective as it can be applied when plants are very small, thereby eliminating the need for large treatment chambers while increasing productivity. Tube grafting has been adopted as the primary method of on-farm vegetable grafting as it can be easily carried out in small treatment chambers with typical success rates of 85 to 90 percent. [14].

• The grafting approach
  is done by cutting opposing and complementary cuts on the stem of the rootstock and scion. The additional notches are connected and held in place by a spring clip or some type of tape. After the grafting has healed, the root system is cut off from the scion plant and the shoot is removed from the rootstock plant.[12].
• Cleft grafting
  is done when the plants are slightly larger and a V-shaped cut is made in the scion stem. The scion is then inserted into the rootstock, which has a vertical cut down the center of the stem. The rootstock and scion are then held together by a spring clamp while the graft union is formed.[11]
• Tube transplantation
  or
  Japanese top grafting
  is carried out when the plants are very small, and the rootstock and scion are held together with a silicone clamp or a 1.5–2 mm tube.[15].

• Grafting Approaches (Lee, 2003)
• Cleft Additive (Oda, 1999)
• Tube transplantation (Rivard and Louws, 2006)

When to graft tomatoes

You can sow seeds at the end of February or beginning of March. After 2-3 weeks, the seedlings need to be planted: transplant 2 plants into separate pots or cups at a distance of 1-1.5 cm. When the seedlings reach 25 cm and the trunk thickness is 4 mm, you can start grafting. This happens about a month before planting tomatoes in the ground. The date is looked at according to the gardener's calendar.

The stem of the seedling should be round. If done later, the stem becomes flatter and the graft does not coexist.

It is better to do splicing in cloudy weather. If it's sunny outside, then in the evening.

Recommendations

1. Kubota, K., McClure, M. A., Kokalis-Bourelle, N., Bauscher, M. G., and Rosskopf, E. N. 2008. Vegetable grafting: history, use, and current status of the technology in North America. HortScience. Pages 1664-1669
2. Rivero, R. M., J. M. Ruiz et al. (2003). "The role of grafting garden plants under stressful conditions." Food, Agriculture and Environment 1(1): 70-74
3. Lee, J. M., H. J. Bang, et al. (1998). "Grafting of vegetables." Journal of the Japanese Society of Horticultural Sciences 67(6): 1098-1104
4. Besri, M. (2005). Current situation of tomato grafting as an alternative to methyl bromide for tomato production in the Mediterranean region. 2005 Annual International Research Conference on Methyl Bromide Alternatives and Emissions Reduction San Diego, California, USA.
5. King, S. R., Davis, A. R., Liu, W. G., and Levy, A. 2008. Grafting for disease resistance. HortScience. Pg 1673-1676
6. Black, L.L., D.L. Wu, J. F. Wang, T. Kalb, D. Abbass, J. H. Chen. 2003. Grafting of tomatoes for growing in the hot-humid season. Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center
7. Fernandez-Garcia, N., V. Martinez, A. Cerda, and M. Carvajal. 2002. Water and nutrient uptake by grafted tomato plants grown under saline conditions. Journal of Plant Physiology 159(8):899-905
8. Pogonyi, A., Z. Pek, L. Helyes, and A. Lugasi 2005 Grafting tomatoes for early spring forcing has a major impact on the overall quality of the main components of the fruit. Acta Alimentaria 34: 453-462
9. Leonardi, C. and F. Giuffrida. 2006 Changes in plant growth and macronutrient intake in grafted tomatoes and eggplants on three different rootstocks. European Journal of Horticulture 71: 97-101
10. Ruiz, J. M. and L. Romero. 1999. Nitrogen efficiency and metabolism in grafted melon plants. Scientia Horticulturae 81: 113-123
11. Oda, 1999. Vegetable grafting to improve greenhouse production. College of Agricultural Education. pp. 1-11. Osaka Prefectural University. Japan.
12. Lee, J. M. 2003. Advances in vegetable cultivation. Chronica Horticulturae 43(2):13-19
13. Grigoriadis, I., I. Nianiou-Obeidat, A.S. Tsaftaris. 2005. Shoot regeneration and micrografting of micropropagated hybrid tomatoes. Journal of Horticulture and Biotechnology 80: 183-186
14. Oda, M. 1995. New grafting methods for fruiting vegetables in Japan. Japan Agricultural Research Quarterly 29: 187-194
15. Rivard, K. L., and Laws, F. J. 2006. Grafting for disease resistance in heirloom tomatoes College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, ed. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.

Why graft fruit tree seedlings?

If your garden has an abundance of young annual or biennial trees that you want to replace old trees with, then grafting them is just what you need. This process allows you to refine the seedling and obtain from it a tree of the desired variety (instead of a summer apple or pear tree - a winter one, a regular plum - a yellow one). After all, a wildflower grown by self-sowing will never produce a varietal tree. To do this, the seedling must be grafted.

In addition, some garden trees do not tolerate frost quite well. You can also improve their winter hardiness by using one of the grafting methods.

The seedling used for grafting is called a rootstock . A cutting that is grafted onto a wild bird is called a scion .

As a result, you will receive a hybrid plant with the properties of the root system of the rootstock and the fruits of the cultivated variety of the scion. To do this, prepare in advance wildflowers, cuttings or small sections of bark with buds, depending on the grafting method. Let's look at the most common of them.

Further care

The fusion of tomato stems occurs in 7-15 days. Care during this time comes down to moderate watering (no more than 2 times a week) and spraying the crown with warm soft water 2-3 times a week.

Spraying a tomato immediately after grafting with a solution of Epin will help alleviate the stress received by the plant.

10 days after the operation, it is necessary to cut off the tops of the rootstock slightly above the graft. The cut on the stem is sprinkled with crushed charcoal or chalk.

It is time to remove the strapping from the trunk 2 weeks after grafting. A dry scar should form in the area where the stems join. At the same time, it is recommended to feed the seedlings with complex mineral fertilizer.

It is recommended to plant grafted tomato seedlings in open ground or in a greenhouse 5-6 weeks after surgery. By this time, the plants will begin to fully function.

When placing tomatoes on two roots in a garden bed, they try to spread the underground parts of the plant as far apart as possible so that the feeding area is larger. The distance between the bushes that have undergone fusion must be increased by 1.5 times compared to the planting scheme for ordinary seedlings.

Rootstock requirements

The rootstock is the basis for grafting. It is the rootstock that will subsequently feed the grafted tree; how winter-hardy and disease-resistant the plant will be depends on the rootstock. Rootstocks can be cultivated or wild, low-growing or vigorous. They are obtained by vegetative or generative propagation.

• Cherries: growing in the garden, types and varieties

Before choosing a rootstock, you must know exactly what goal you are pursuing so that your expectations are likely to be met. It is desirable that the rootstock has such qualities as cold resistance, drought resistance, has well-developed roots and is adapted to your area.