Grape Tomato Growth, Yield, and Fruit Mineral Content as Affected by Rootstocks in a High Tunnel Organic Production System

Recently, so-called “vegetative” and “generative” rootstocks have been identified by seed companies as rootstock types that have different impacts on tomato scions. In this experiment of grafted grape tomato production in an organically managed high tunnel system, we characterized the effects of veg...

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Main Authors: Tian Gong, Xuelian Zhang, Jeffrey K. Brecht, Zachary E. Black, Xin Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) 2022-08-01
Series:HortScience
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/57/10/article-p1267.xml
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author Tian Gong
Xuelian Zhang
Jeffrey K. Brecht
Zachary E. Black
Xin Zhao
author_facet Tian Gong
Xuelian Zhang
Jeffrey K. Brecht
Zachary E. Black
Xin Zhao
author_sort Tian Gong
collection DOAJ
description Recently, so-called “vegetative” and “generative” rootstocks have been identified by seed companies as rootstock types that have different impacts on tomato scions. In this experiment of grafted grape tomato production in an organically managed high tunnel system, we characterized the effects of vegetative and generative rootstock cultivars on tomato yield components and fruit mineral contents. Grape tomato scions ‘BHN 1022’ (determinate) and ‘Sweet Hearts’ (indeterminate) were grafted onto ‘DR0141TX’ (vegetative), ‘Estamino’ (generative), and ‘Multifort’ (noncharacterized) rootstocks with self- and nongrafted scions as controls. Experiments were conducted twice with different transplanting dates (Expt. 1: 31 Jan. vs. Expt. 2: 9 Mar.) in 2018. No rootstock by scion interaction effects on whole-season fruit yield components were observed, indicating similar responses of determinate and indeterminate grape tomato scions to all rootstocks tested. For Expt. 1, the three rootstocks increased marketable fruit number, marketable yield, and total yield by 23.3%, 37.9%, and 34.4% on average, respectively, compared with the self- and nongrafted controls, primarily due to improved productivity during the peak and late harvest periods. For Expt. 2, the rootstocks did not significantly benefit any whole-season yield components. ‘DR0141TX’ and ‘Multifort’ increased stem diameter in both experiments, whereas ‘Estamino’ only increased stem diameter in Expt. 2 relative to the nongrafted controls. Consistent increase in aboveground dry biomass of rootstock treatments at crop termination in Expt. 1 corresponded to the greater yield of rootstock-grafted plants in that experiment. All rootstocks in both experiments consistently increased fruit P, K, Ca, Zn, and Fe contents on a dry weight basis at peak harvest regardless of the tomato scion used. Despite a relatively low level of root-knot nematode infestation, plants grafted with ‘DR0141TX’ or ‘Estamino’ tended to have lower root galling index ratings than scion controls and ‘Multifort’-grafted plants, which was more evident in Expt. 1. Given the different environmental conditions during the tomato production period between the two experiments conducted in high tunnels, our findings highlight the important influence of production environment on grafted tomato performance. This study on grafted grape tomatoes in high tunnel organic production systems also demonstrated that so-called “vegetative” and “generative” rootstocks had similar impacts on tomato scion yield components and fruit mineral contents.
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spelling doaj.art-353e3b835af14bf5b312c34ef7e370742022-12-22T03:01:17ZengAmerican Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS)HortScience2327-98342022-08-015710https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI16553-22Grape Tomato Growth, Yield, and Fruit Mineral Content as Affected by Rootstocks in a High Tunnel Organic Production SystemTian Gong Xuelian Zhang Jeffrey K. BrechtZachary E. Black Xin ZhaoRecently, so-called “vegetative” and “generative” rootstocks have been identified by seed companies as rootstock types that have different impacts on tomato scions. In this experiment of grafted grape tomato production in an organically managed high tunnel system, we characterized the effects of vegetative and generative rootstock cultivars on tomato yield components and fruit mineral contents. Grape tomato scions ‘BHN 1022’ (determinate) and ‘Sweet Hearts’ (indeterminate) were grafted onto ‘DR0141TX’ (vegetative), ‘Estamino’ (generative), and ‘Multifort’ (noncharacterized) rootstocks with self- and nongrafted scions as controls. Experiments were conducted twice with different transplanting dates (Expt. 1: 31 Jan. vs. Expt. 2: 9 Mar.) in 2018. No rootstock by scion interaction effects on whole-season fruit yield components were observed, indicating similar responses of determinate and indeterminate grape tomato scions to all rootstocks tested. For Expt. 1, the three rootstocks increased marketable fruit number, marketable yield, and total yield by 23.3%, 37.9%, and 34.4% on average, respectively, compared with the self- and nongrafted controls, primarily due to improved productivity during the peak and late harvest periods. For Expt. 2, the rootstocks did not significantly benefit any whole-season yield components. ‘DR0141TX’ and ‘Multifort’ increased stem diameter in both experiments, whereas ‘Estamino’ only increased stem diameter in Expt. 2 relative to the nongrafted controls. Consistent increase in aboveground dry biomass of rootstock treatments at crop termination in Expt. 1 corresponded to the greater yield of rootstock-grafted plants in that experiment. All rootstocks in both experiments consistently increased fruit P, K, Ca, Zn, and Fe contents on a dry weight basis at peak harvest regardless of the tomato scion used. Despite a relatively low level of root-knot nematode infestation, plants grafted with ‘DR0141TX’ or ‘Estamino’ tended to have lower root galling index ratings than scion controls and ‘Multifort’-grafted plants, which was more evident in Expt. 1. Given the different environmental conditions during the tomato production period between the two experiments conducted in high tunnels, our findings highlight the important influence of production environment on grafted tomato performance. This study on grafted grape tomatoes in high tunnel organic production systems also demonstrated that so-called “vegetative” and “generative” rootstocks had similar impacts on tomato scion yield components and fruit mineral contents.https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/57/10/article-p1267.xmldeterminate sciongenerative rootstockindeterminate scionroot-knot nematoderootstock-scion synergysolanum lycopersicumvegetative rootstock
spellingShingle Tian Gong
Xuelian Zhang
Jeffrey K. Brecht
Zachary E. Black
Xin Zhao
Grape Tomato Growth, Yield, and Fruit Mineral Content as Affected by Rootstocks in a High Tunnel Organic Production System
HortScience
determinate scion
generative rootstock
indeterminate scion
root-knot nematode
rootstock-scion synergy
solanum lycopersicum
vegetative rootstock
title Grape Tomato Growth, Yield, and Fruit Mineral Content as Affected by Rootstocks in a High Tunnel Organic Production System
title_full Grape Tomato Growth, Yield, and Fruit Mineral Content as Affected by Rootstocks in a High Tunnel Organic Production System
title_fullStr Grape Tomato Growth, Yield, and Fruit Mineral Content as Affected by Rootstocks in a High Tunnel Organic Production System
title_full_unstemmed Grape Tomato Growth, Yield, and Fruit Mineral Content as Affected by Rootstocks in a High Tunnel Organic Production System
title_short Grape Tomato Growth, Yield, and Fruit Mineral Content as Affected by Rootstocks in a High Tunnel Organic Production System
title_sort grape tomato growth yield and fruit mineral content as affected by rootstocks in a high tunnel organic production system
topic determinate scion
generative rootstock
indeterminate scion
root-knot nematode
rootstock-scion synergy
solanum lycopersicum
vegetative rootstock
url https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/57/10/article-p1267.xml
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AT jeffreykbrecht grapetomatogrowthyieldandfruitmineralcontentasaffectedbyrootstocksinahightunnelorganicproductionsystem
AT zacharyeblack grapetomatogrowthyieldandfruitmineralcontentasaffectedbyrootstocksinahightunnelorganicproductionsystem
AT xinzhao grapetomatogrowthyieldandfruitmineralcontentasaffectedbyrootstocksinahightunnelorganicproductionsystem