Vol. 38, 2011, No. 4: 142–149 Hort. Sci. (Prague) Effects of grafting on different rootstocks on tomato fruit yield and quality A. Turhan1, N. Ozmen1, M.S. Serbeci1, V. Seniz2 1MustafakemalpaŞa Vocational School, Uludag University, MustafakemalpaŞa, Turkey 2Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agricultural, Uludag University, Gorukle, Turkey Abstract Turhan A., Ozmen N., Serbeci M.S., Seniz V., 2011. Effects of grafting on different rootstocks on tomato fruit yield and quality. Hort. Sci. (Prague), 38: 142–149. The aim of the study was to find effects of tomato grafting on another cultivar. The tomato cultivars used as scions were Yeni Talya, Swanson and Beril. Cultivars used as rootstocks were Beaufort and Arnold. Cleft grafting methods were applied. The following characteristics of grafted and nongrafted plants were recorded: fruit index, number of fruits/truss, fruit weight, fruit yield, dry matter, pH, concentration of soluble solids, titratable acidity, total sugar and lycopene and vitamin C. The results showed that fruit yield and fruit index, number of fruits/truss and fruit weights were improved by grafting. Fruit quality, measured in terms of dry matter, concentration of soluble solids, total sugar, and vitamin C content, was lower in the fruits of grafted plants than in nongrafted ones. No significant difference in lycopene and pH content was found. Titratable acid content was improved by grafting. A positive effect of grafting was recorded when Beaufort was used as rootstock. These results showed that grafting could be an advantageous alterna- tive in tomato production. Keywords: tomato; cultivars; grafting; yield; fruit index; fruit weight; titratable acids Use of grafted seedlings became a widespread conditions. These researchers consider that grafted agricultural practice in many parts of the world plants, which provide increased yield and, conse- (Pogonyi et al. 2005). Grafting is an important quently, higher profit, can be of value to farmers. technique for vegetable production (Lee 2003). In Furthermore, in many of the most economically im- the Mediterranean, where land use is very inten- portant vegetable crops such as tomato, increases sive and continuous cropping is a common prac- in fruit yield are typically a result of increased fruit tice, vegetable grafting is considered an innovative size (Pogonyi et al. 2005). Owing to their utiliza- technique and is in increasing demand by farmers tion of the vigorous root system of the rootstocks, (Khah et al. 2006). Turkey, located in the East of grafted plants usually show increased uptake of wa- the Mediterranean, is one of the area’s dominant to- ter and minerals when compared with self-rooted mato producers. Production in 2007 was 9.95 mil- plants (Lee, Oda 2003). Research has shown that lion tons (FAO 2007). In Turkey, vegetable grafting, possible mechanisms for increased yield are likely primarily for tomatoes and watermelon, recently the result of increased water and nutrient uptake increased (Atasayar 2006). by vigorous rootstock genotypes. Uptake of ma- Khah et al. (2006) showed that tomato graft- cronutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen was ing on suitable rootstocks has positive effects on enhanced by grafting (Ruiz, Romero 1999, Leon- cultivation performance, especially in greenhouse ardi, Giuffrida 2006). Lee (1994) reported that 142 Hort. Sci. (Prague) Vol. 38, 2011, No. 4: 142–149 quality traits (fruit shape, skin color, skin or rind Plant material and grafting smoothness, flesh texture and color and soluble sol- id concentration) are influenced by the rootstock. The commercial tomato (L. esculentum Mill.) High soluble solid concentration and titratable cultivars Yeni Talya, Swanson and Beril were used acidity are highly desirable, not only in processing as scions. Beaufort and Arnold were used as root- tomato cultivars but also in fresh-market cultivars, stocks. Cleft grafting was applied as indicated by owing to the important contribution of sugars and Oda (1995). Grafting was carried out in a green- acids to the overall flavor and nutritional value of house, in a shady place sheltered from the wind, to tomatoes (Cuartero, Fernández-Muñoz 1998). avoid wilting of the grafted plants. After the graft- Rootstock (Radja) was able to induce increases in ing, as indicated by Marsic and Osvald (2004), both fruit yield and fruit quality traits of the scion. the grafted plants were maintained at 28–30°C and The cultivated tomato and wild tomato (Solanum at more than 95% relative humidity for three days cheesmaniae) were tested as rootstocks, using the of healing to enhance the survival rate. The rela- commercial hybrid Boludo as scion; the rootstock tive humidity was then gradually lowered, and the also improved soluble solid concentration and ti- light intensity was increased. When wilting was ob- tratable acidity when grafted plants were grown served, foliar spraying of grafted plants with water under nonsaline conditions (Flores et al. 2010). was effective in improving survival. Pogonyi et al. (2005) examined the effect of graft- ing on the yield and fruit characteristics of tomato cultivar Lemance F1 used as scion with Beaufort Plant growth experiment as rootstock. That study reported higher yield from the grafted plants than nongrafted. The increase The soil used in the greenhouse was clay loam of yield was caused mainly by higher average fruit (23.9% sand, 47.4% silt and 28.7% clay content). Or- weight. Soluble solid concentration and titratable ganic matter content and pH of the soil were 2.2% acidity and carbohydrate content were lower in the and 7.8%, respectively. The average temperatures fruits on grafted plants than on nongrafted ones, during the growing seasons were around 30°C. The but no significant difference in acid content was experiments were laid out separately according to found. In contrast, Khah et al. (2006) found that a completely randomized block design with three soluble solid concentration and titratable acidity, replications each consisting of 15 plants. Nitroge- lycopene and pH concentrations in hybrid tomato nous, phosphate and potassium fertilizers were ap- fruits were not affected by grafting. On the whole, plied as recommended by the Laben Agricultural these results show the effectiveness of grafting for Analysis Laboratory, Antalya, Turkey. Plots were improvement of fruit quality in tomato. These find- fertilized with 128 kg/ha P2O5 as triple super phos- ings are of great importance because they show phate and 145 kg/ha K2O in the form of potassium that grafting is a rapid and efficient means to im- sulphate each year before sowing. Nitrogenous fer- prove fruit quality. tilizer was applied manually at the rate of 124 kg/ha Grafting methods and the influence of grafting N (ammonium sulphate) three times; before plant- on the yield of fruit-bearing vegetables in Turkey ing, when flowering started and fruit began to rip- have not yet been studied in detail. The purpose of en. The grafted and nongrafted seedlings were then this study was to investigate possible positive ef- hand planted (15th of May) at 1.00 m row spacing, fects of grafting and use of different rootstocks on spaced 0.40 m apart, and grown vertically in the the fruit yield, characteristics and quality attributes greenhouse. The experiment used normal culture of tomato plants. practices for irrigation (drip), fertilization and pes- ticide application. The experiment was terminated in middle of September. MATEriAl ANd METhOdS Experiments were conducted for two consecu- Measurements and quality analysis tive summer seasons (2009 and 2010) in a green- house in the MustafakemalpaŞa Vocational School, Fruits were harvested from the third week of July Uludag University, Turkey (40°01'N, 28°22'E, 25 m to the middle of September. Fruits were harvested a.s.l.). at two-day intervals at the ripening stage. Ten ripe 143 Vol. 38, 2011, No. 4: 142–149 Hort. Sci. (Prague) fruits (judged by appearance) from all plants were fresh matter was expressed as mg/100 g. Vitamin C selected to determine the yield and quality. The fol- (ascorbic acid) content in fresh tomato samples was lowing measurements were recorded for each plant: determined by the titration method (AOAC 1980). fruit index (fruit diameter/fruit length) (Alan et al. The results were expressed as mg/100 g fresh mat- 2007) and fruit weight (g/fruit). Number of fruits/ ter. Dry matter (DM) content of fruit was calculat- truss and fruit yield (kg/plant) were calculated by ed as % of fresh weight (following drying at 80°C for using all fruits on each plant. 48 h) of samples. For the quality analyses, juice of each fruit was ex- tracted by dividing the fruit into halves and pressing the halves through a 1 mm metallic sieve, thereby Statistical analysis facilitating removal of the fruit coat and the seeds. The fruit juice extracts were used for estimation of Data were analyzed using MSTAT-C v. 2.1 (Michi- soluble solids concentration (SSC, %), pH value, gan State University, Michigan, USA) and Minitab titratable acidity (TA, %) and total sugar (TS, %). 14.0 software (University of Texas at Austin, Texas, Determination of SSC was done with a refrac- USA). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed. tometer Abbe-type refractometer, model 60/DR Significance of differences among treatments was (Bellingham and Stanley, Ltd., Kent, UK) using the tested using the least significant difference (LSD) following procedure described by Tigchelaar method. Differences were judged significant at (1986). Fruit juices pH levels were measured with P < 0.05 according to the F-test. The F-protected LSD a pH meter. Titratable acidity was determined by values were calculated at 0.05 probability levels. titration with using fruit juice. Results were ex- pressed as percentage of citric acid (Anonymous 1968). For the analysis of total sugar content (%), the rESulTS ANd diScuSSiON Luff-Schoorl method was used (Gormley, Maher 1990). Spectrophotometer quantification of lyco- The fruit characteristics of grafted plants were pene was performed as described by Adsule, Dan compared with those of nongrafted plants. The re- (1979). The lycopene content was measured in the sults showed that the fruit index (diameter/length), supernatant using a spectrophotometer Shimadzu number of fruits/truss, and fruit weight were sig- UV-1208 (Shimadzu Co., Kyoto, Japan) at a wave- nificantly influenced by grafting (Table 1). The re- length of 505 nm. The lycopene concentration in sults agree with those reported by Lee (1994), who Table 1. Fruit index, fruit number, fruit weight, fruit yield of nongrafted and grafted tomato plants Treatments Fruit index Fruit number Fruit weight Fruit yield (diameter/length) (number of fruits/truss) (g/fruit) (kg/plant) Yeni Talya 1.21b 4.84b 146.61b 4.49c Yeni Talya/Beaufort 1.34a 5.47a 202.09a 6.77a Yeni Talya/Arnold 1.33a 5.28ab 174.1ab 5.63b LSD (5%)* 0.03 0.53 42.69 0.08 Swanson 1.25b 4.64b 151.05b 5.07b Swanson/Beaufort 1.35a 5.57a 189.05a 5.74a Swanson/Arnold 1.31ab 5.32a 170.4ab 5.65a LSD (5%)* 0.08 0.35 34.14 0.36 Beril 1.19b 4.85c 132.79b 4.46c Beril/Beaufort 1.30a 6.02a 181.89a 5.36a Beril/Arnold 1.26ab 5.14b 179.19a 5.14b LSD (5%)* 0.08 0.12 44.93 0.06 *Means followed by the same letter are statistically not significant (Duncan’s multiple range test, P = 0.05) 144 Hort. Sci. (Prague) Vol. 38, 2011, No. 4: 142–149 concluded that fruit shapes are influenced by root- significant increase in yield per plant of Yeni Talya stocks. Pogonyi et al. (2005) reported that when and Beril grown under greenhouse conditions. Lemance F1 was grafted onto Beaufort rootstock, Likewise, Marsic, Osvald (2004) reported that increased yield was caused mainly by higher aver- tomato grafting on suitable rootstocks has positive age fruit weight. Ibrahim et al. (2001) found that effects on cultivation performance, especially un- the total number of fruits per truss in nongrafted der greenhouse conditions. plants was statistically different from the total for Fruit DM content of grafted and nongrafted grafted plants. In a similar study (Khah et al. 2006), plants varied between 4.75% and 5.42%, as pre- fruit weight of grafted plants was found to be higher sented in Table 2. The results are similar to those than in nongrafted plants, and plants grafted onto reported by Kolota and Winiarska (2005) and Heman and Primavera produced more fruit than Majkowska-Godomska et al. (2008). Fruit DM the nongrafted, both in the greenhouse and in the of nongrafted plants was significantly higher than open field. In our study, the fruit index, number of that of the plants grafted onto both rootstock cul- fruits/truss, and fruit weights of nongrafted plants tivars. Fruit DM of cultivars grafted onto Beaufort were significantly lower than the corresponding val- rootstock (Yeni Talya/Beaufort, Swanson/Beaufort ues for plants grafted onto both rootstock cultivars. and Beril/Beaufort) was significantly higher than That is, the effect of grafting was positive when Yeni the corresponding values for other cultivars grafted Talya, Swanson and Beril were used as scion and onto Arnold rootstock (Yeni Talya/Arnold, Swan- Beaufort, Arnold as rootstock. Comparisons of the son/Arnold and Beril/Arnold). responses of the grafted plants when Yeni Talya and The pH value also plays an important role in de- Swanson were grafted onto Beaufort and Arnold termining fruit quality characteristics. Many stud- showed that different rootstocks had no effect on ies focused on pH as a key element in tomato selec- fruit characteristics. In general, no significant differ- tion (Hong, Tsou 1998). Analysis results showed ences were found among the fruit indexes, numbers that the pH values of tomato fruit ranged between of fruit/trusses, or fruit weights of the graft combi- 4.35–4.12 (Table 2). Kuzucu et al. (2004) also re- nations (Yeni Talya/Beaufort and Yeni Talya/Arnold, ported that Koral, Mobil and H-2274 (fresh tomato) Swanson/Beaufort and Swanson/Arnold). However, have a pH value of 4.31, 4.33 and 4.33, respective- number of fruits/truss of Beril/Beaufort plants was ly. In this study, pH values differed slightly among significantly higher than the corresponding values tomato plants. Moreover, pH values did not differ for Beril/Arnold grafted plants. significantly between the grafted and nongrafted The results of the study showed that tomato plants. In addition, different rootstocks had no grafting on suitable rootstocks had positive effects positive effects on fruit pH values. Our findings in on the yield. In grafted combinations, the total fruit generally agree with other researchers who found yield per plant increased significantly in compari- that fruit pH values were not affected by grafting son with that of the nongrafted plants. Ibrahim et (Khah et al. 2006). al. (2001) and Marsic, Osvald (2004) observed SSC is the most important quality criterion for similar results in grafted and nongrafted tomato tomato (Cuartero, Fernádez-Muñoz 1998). In plants. These investigators suggested that the higher this study, the highest SSC value was found in the yield of fruit from grafted tomato plants was most Swanson cultivar (4.86%). The lowest values were likely an effect of the vigorous root system of the found in Beril grafted onto Arnold (4.17%) (Table 2). rootstock. According to Lee (1994), the increased Our results also agree with the finding by Turhan yield of grafted plants is also believed to be due to and Seniz (2009) that the SSC of ripe tomato gen- enhanced water and mineral uptake. In this study, otypes was between 3.4% and 5.5%. According to the highest fruit yield was found in the Yeni Talya/ Campos et al. (2006), the SSC of fresh tomato fruit Beaufort grafted combination (6.77 kg/plant), and is approximately 4.5. In greenhouse culture, fruit the lowest fruit yield was recorded in the Beril cul- SSC values differed significantly between grafted tivar (4.46 kg/plant). Fruit yield of Swanson tomato and nongrafted plants. These results are similar to cultivar was not significantly affected by grafting those reported by Lee (1994), who found that fruit onto Beaufort or Arnold rootstock (Table 1). How- SSC was influenced by the rootstock. SSC values of ever, fruit yield of Yeni Talya and Beril was signifi- nongrafted plants were higher than those of grafted cantly affected by grafting onto Beaufort or Arnold ones. In agreement with the results of the current rootstock. The use of Beaufort rootstock caused a study, several authors reported that grafting onto 145 Vol. 38, 2011, No. 4: 142–149 Hort. Sci. (Prague) Table 2. Qualitative fruit parameters of nongrafted and grafted tomato plants Treatments DM pH SSC TA TS Lycopene Vitamin C Yeni Talya 5.35a 4.15 4.8a 0.30b 4.11a 7.73 17.81a Yeni Talya/Beaufort 4.91b 4.12 4.34b 0.38a 3.22b 7.7 13.36b Yeni Talya/Arnold 4.85c 4.14 4.35b 0.38a 2.51c 7.77 12.31c LSD (5%)* 0.03 NS 0.07 0.02 0.05 NS 0.32 Swanson 5.33a 4.33 4.86a 0.33b 4.34a 7.15 12.9a Swanson/Beaufort 4.91b 4.35 4.38b 0.39a 2.09b 7.09 9.20b Swanson/Arnold 4.75c 4.35 4.32b 0.38a 2.03c 7.09 8.82c LSD (5%) 0.05 NS 0.13 0.03 0.04 NS 0.39 Beril 5.42a 4.21 4.72a 0.34b 4.14a 6.32 15.62a Beril/Beaufort 4.97b 4.23 4.31b 0.38a 2.72b 6.3 9.24b Beril/Arnold 4.88c 4.22 4.17c 0.37a 2.35c 6.24 7.84c LSD (5%)* 0.03 NS 0.13 0.02 0.07 NS 0.06 *means followed by the same letter are statistically not significant (Duncan’s multiple range test, P = 0.05), NS – non- significant; DM – dry matter (%), SSC – soluble solid concentration (%), TA – titratable acidity ‘citric acid’ (%), TS – total sugar (%), lycopene (mg/100 g fresh matter), vitamin C (mg/100 g fresh matter) various rootstocks decreased soluble solids in fruit rootstock) than nongrafted ones (Lemance F1 was (Lopez-Galarza et al. 2004; Alexopoulos et al. used as scion). The highest and lowest sugar con- 2007). Additionally, a previous study reported that tents were found as 4.34% and 2.03% in Swanson and SSC was reduced by grafting (Pogonyi et al. 2005; Swanson/Arnold, respectively. Our results also agree Qaryouti et al. 2007). However, Mohammed et with Petro-Turzo (1987), who found that the total al. (2009) found that grafting also increased soluble sugar content of ripe tomato was between 1.7% and solids in Cecilia grafted onto Beaufort rootstocks. 4.7%. Our results showed that fruit TS values were Fruit SSC of Swanson and Yeni Talya tomato culti- influenced significantly by rootstocks. In our study vars were not significantly affected by grafting onto of the comparative responses of the grafted plants of Beaufort or Arnold rootstock. In contrast, the SSC rootstocks (Beaufort and Arnold), a positive effect of Beril grafted onto Beaufort plants was higher of grafting was found when Yeni Talya, Swanson and than that for Beril grafted onto Arnold plants. Beril cultivars were used as scion and Beaufort as Consumers often complain about the overall flavor rootstock, whereas a negative effect of grafting was of fresh-market tomatoes. Flavor quality of tomatoes found when Arnold was used as rootstock. is largely determined by the sugar and acid compo- TA content in grafted and nongrafted tomato sition of the fruit (Moretti et al. 1998). In fresh- plants is presented in Table 2. Our investigations market cultivars, sugars and acids contribute signifi- showed that the TA values of tomato fruit ranged cantly to the overall flavor and nutritional value of between 0.30–0.39. George et al. (2004) reported tomatoes (Cuartero, Fernández-Muñoz 1999). that TA in fruits of 12 different tomato genotypes The high contents of sugar and acid are signs of varied from 0.25–0.70. The highest acid values were good taste and flavor (Kamis et al. 2004). Total sugar found in grafted tomato plants, whereas the lowest content in grafted and nongrafted tomato plants is were found in nongrafted tomato plants. Grafting presented in Table 2. The results show that fruit TS may have positive effects on the acidity of the to- content was significantly influenced by grafting. TS mato fruit produced. These results were similar to content of nongrafted plants was significantly higher those reported by others (Flores et al. 2010). That than that of grafted ones. This result agrees with the study reported that rootstock improved the TA findings of Pogonyi et al. (2005), who noted that value of grafted tomato plants. In contrast, (Fer- the increase of carbohydrate content was lower in nández-Garcia et al. 2004) stated that TA values the fruits of grafted plants (Beaufort was used as were the most important chemical quality param- 146 Hort. Sci. (Prague) Vol. 38, 2011, No. 4: 142–149 eters for tomato and were not affected by grafting. Cecilia grafted on He-Man and Spirit. However, the In our study, the TA values were not significantly effects on vitamin C content of grafting onto various affected by different rootstocks. No significant dif- rootstocks may be either positive or negative. For ferences in TA values were found between the Yeni example, vitamin C content differed significantly be- Talya/Beaufort and Yeni Talya/Arnold, Swanson/ tween plants grafted onto Beaufort and Arnold root- Beaufort and Swanson/Arnold, and Beril/Beaufort stocks. Beaufort exhibited better vitamin C content and Beril/Arnold grafted combinations. performance than did Arnold. Tomato color is another important factor affect- ing consumers’ tomato preferences. The color of a ripe tomato is determined by the ratio of two pig- cONcluSiONS ments, lycopene and β-carotene (Hobson, Grier- son 1993). Lycopene, a carotenoid, is formed dur- In tomato plants, yield is positively affected by ing fruit ripening and determines the degree of fruit grafting due to the increase in fruit index, number redness. The red color of the fruit originates from of fruits/truss and fruit weight. Thus, grafted plants lycopene (Tepic et al. 2006). Tomato contains sig- offer increased yield and consequently higher prof- nificant amounts of this compound. In this study, its. We consider these benefits to be of value to the highest lycopene content was found in grafted farmers. Although fruit quality values, such as dry Yeni Talya/Arnold (7.77 mg/100 g). However, Beril/ matter, total soluble solids, total sugar and vitamin C Arnold (6.24 mg/100 g) grafted combinations had content were lower in grafted plants, these values the lowest values of lycopene content (Table 2). were still satisfactory and lied within the adequate As found by Diana et al. (2007), lycopene content ranges. However, lycopene content and pH values for Campbell tomato varieties varied from 2.09 to remained unchanged, and titratable acid content 5.05 mg/100 g. As shown in Table 2, lycopene con- was slightly increased by grafting. Therefore, graft- tent did not differ significantly between the grafted ing had no harmful effects on fruit quality, but ad- and nongrafted plants. Moreover, different root- ditional research is needed to determine whether stocks had no positive effects on fruit lycopene grafting is economically feasible to the producer. content. 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