Vegetable grafting: a century-old technique to improve organic production

Abstract

Purpose: To increase yield and quality of fruit vegetables under high pressure of soil-borne pathogens, nematode, and unfavorable environments introducing vegetable grafting in agriculture are crucial. It also helps to reduce disease susceptibility and to increase tolerance against abiotic stresses. Findings: Grafting in vegetables is a centuries-old practice to improve yield through organic culture. It was introduced in USA and becoming more common in organic farming of vegetables. Vegetable grafting is popular practice in many European and North American countries, Japan, Korea, and China. Vegetable crops are exposed to many abiotic and biotic stress factors, including salinity, heat, heavy metals, excess trace elements, diseases, and pests, which have a significant effect on crop growth and productivity. Grafting is effective practices in solanaceous and cucurbitaceous vegetables to control soil-borne diseases including; Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, and bacterial wilt, and nematodes without using pesticides. Limitations: Despite of its numerous benefits, there are several difficulties associated with grafting which include added cost, graft mismatch, physiological complaints, and reductions in flower formation, quality, and yield of fruit. Directions for future research: Appropriate selection of scion and rootstock, scion–rootstock communication, and the reciprocal effect of the shoot and root system should be considered to get maximum benefits from this novel technique. New research should be conducted to evaluate and test diverse germplasm as a source of the viable rootstock, development of grafting tools ideal for the stable, year-round, and cost-effective yield.

Keywords

• crop protection
• grafting
• organic farming
• sustainable agriculture
• vegetables