Utilizing grafting techniques with wild and cultivated cucurbit rootstocks: Enhancing crop resilience and performance
N Mounica, Dr. P SyamSundar Reddy, Dr. Syed Sadarunissa, Dr. M Jayaprada, Dr. G Sarada and Dr. Y Sireesha
Initially, grafting was used to propagate trees with challenging root systems or susceptibility to pathogens. Now, it is widely applied to vegetablecrops, especially solanaceouscrops and cucurbits. In the case of cucurbits, grafting focuses on finding suitable rootstocks for cucumber, enhancing resistance to soil-bornepathogens, particularly nematodes. Wild cucurbit rootstocks are generally more resistant to diseases due to their robust root systems. This increased resistance, coupled with better nutrientuptake, helps mitigate biotic stress. The rootstocks include, bitter apple (Citrulluscolocynthis) pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata), bottlegourd (Lagenaria siceraria), and spongegourd (Luffa cylindrica). Two cucumber scions, PusaUday and SwarnaSheetal were grafted using two methods-tubegrafting and tongueapproachgrafting. Among these, tongueapproachgrafting was found to have a higher successrate for both scions. This method demonstrates the potential to improve disease resistance in cucumber plants while ensuring better growth and survival. Grafting could be a viable strategy for controlling soil-borne pathogens like root-knotnematodes in cucumber production.
N Mounica, Dr. P SyamSundar Reddy, Dr. Syed Sadarunissa, Dr. M Jayaprada, Dr. G Sarada, Dr. Y Sireesha. Utilizing grafting techniques with wild and cultivated cucurbit rootstocks: Enhancing crop resilience and performance. Int J Res Agron 2024;7(9S):803-807. DOI: 10.33545/2618060X.2024.v7.i9Sk.1605