Rootstocks Comparison in Grafted Watermelon under Water Deficit: Effects on the Fruit Quality and Yield
Drought is widely recognized as one of the most significant agricultural constraints worldwide. A strategy to avoid the adverse effects of drought on crops is to cultivate high-yielding varieties by grafting them onto drought-tolerant rootstocks with a differentiated root system. Thus, the objective...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/3/509 |
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| author | Carolina Morales Camilo Riveros-Burgos Felipe Espinoza Seguel Carlos Maldonado Jacob Mashilo Catalina Pinto Rodrigo Iván Contreras-Soto |
| author_facet | Carolina Morales Camilo Riveros-Burgos Felipe Espinoza Seguel Carlos Maldonado Jacob Mashilo Catalina Pinto Rodrigo Iván Contreras-Soto |
| author_sort | Carolina Morales |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Drought is widely recognized as one of the most significant agricultural constraints worldwide. A strategy to avoid the adverse effects of drought on crops is to cultivate high-yielding varieties by grafting them onto drought-tolerant rootstocks with a differentiated root system. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate fruit yield and quality, root system architecture, and water productivity of watermelon grafted onto <i>Lagenaria siceraria</i> rootstocks. To do so, a commercial watermelon cultivar “Santa Amelia” [<i>Citrullus lanatus</i> (Thunb.)] was grafted onto five <i>L. siceraria</i> rootstocks: ‘Illapel’, ‘Osorno’, ‘BG-48’, ‘GC’, and ‘Philippines’, which were grown under three irrigation treatments (100%, 75%, and 50% of evapotranspiration). The comparison of the <i>L. siceraria</i> rootstocks in the irrigation treatments demonstrated no significant effect on watermelon fruit quality parameters. The rootstocks ‘Illapel’, ‘Osorno’, and ‘GC’ significantly improved the fruit number and yield (total fruit weight) under water deficit. Similarly, ‘Illapel’, ‘Osorno’, and ‘GC’ consistently showed statistical differences for root system architecture traits compared to ‘BG-48’ and ‘Philippines’. Based on these results, we concluded that the used <i>L. siceraria</i> rootstocks did not affect the fruit yield and quality of grafted watermelon under water deficit. This study may help adjust the amount of applied water for watermelon production where <i>L. siceraria</i> rootstocks are utilized. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:29:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ccb8b9ba8b6d4fcaa391df2d65764979 |
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| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:29:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-ccb8b9ba8b6d4fcaa391df2d657649792023-11-16T17:43:23ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472023-01-0112350910.3390/plants12030509Rootstocks Comparison in Grafted Watermelon under Water Deficit: Effects on the Fruit Quality and YieldCarolina Morales0Camilo Riveros-Burgos1Felipe Espinoza Seguel2Carlos Maldonado3Jacob Mashilo4Catalina Pinto5Rodrigo Iván Contreras-Soto6Institute of Agri-Food, Animal and Environmental Sciences (ICA3), Universidad de O’Higgins, San Fernando 3070000, ChileInstitute of Agri-Food, Animal and Environmental Sciences (ICA3), Universidad de O’Higgins, San Fernando 3070000, ChileInstitute of Agri-Food, Animal and Environmental Sciences (ICA3), Universidad de O’Higgins, San Fernando 3070000, ChileInstitute of Agri-Food, Animal and Environmental Sciences (ICA3), Universidad de O’Higgins, San Fernando 3070000, ChileAgriculture Regulatory and Technology Development Directorate, Towoomba Research Centre, Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Private Bag X1615, Bela-Bela 0480, South AfricaInstitute of Agri-Food, Animal and Environmental Sciences (ICA3), Universidad de O’Higgins, San Fernando 3070000, ChileInstitute of Agri-Food, Animal and Environmental Sciences (ICA3), Universidad de O’Higgins, San Fernando 3070000, ChileDrought is widely recognized as one of the most significant agricultural constraints worldwide. A strategy to avoid the adverse effects of drought on crops is to cultivate high-yielding varieties by grafting them onto drought-tolerant rootstocks with a differentiated root system. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate fruit yield and quality, root system architecture, and water productivity of watermelon grafted onto <i>Lagenaria siceraria</i> rootstocks. To do so, a commercial watermelon cultivar “Santa Amelia” [<i>Citrullus lanatus</i> (Thunb.)] was grafted onto five <i>L. siceraria</i> rootstocks: ‘Illapel’, ‘Osorno’, ‘BG-48’, ‘GC’, and ‘Philippines’, which were grown under three irrigation treatments (100%, 75%, and 50% of evapotranspiration). The comparison of the <i>L. siceraria</i> rootstocks in the irrigation treatments demonstrated no significant effect on watermelon fruit quality parameters. The rootstocks ‘Illapel’, ‘Osorno’, and ‘GC’ significantly improved the fruit number and yield (total fruit weight) under water deficit. Similarly, ‘Illapel’, ‘Osorno’, and ‘GC’ consistently showed statistical differences for root system architecture traits compared to ‘BG-48’ and ‘Philippines’. Based on these results, we concluded that the used <i>L. siceraria</i> rootstocks did not affect the fruit yield and quality of grafted watermelon under water deficit. This study may help adjust the amount of applied water for watermelon production where <i>L. siceraria</i> rootstocks are utilized.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/3/509deficit irrigation strategywater productivitycrop evapotranspirationroot system |
| spellingShingle | Carolina Morales Camilo Riveros-Burgos Felipe Espinoza Seguel Carlos Maldonado Jacob Mashilo Catalina Pinto Rodrigo Iván Contreras-Soto Rootstocks Comparison in Grafted Watermelon under Water Deficit: Effects on the Fruit Quality and Yield Plants deficit irrigation strategy water productivity crop evapotranspiration root system |
| title | Rootstocks Comparison in Grafted Watermelon under Water Deficit: Effects on the Fruit Quality and Yield |
| title_full | Rootstocks Comparison in Grafted Watermelon under Water Deficit: Effects on the Fruit Quality and Yield |
| title_fullStr | Rootstocks Comparison in Grafted Watermelon under Water Deficit: Effects on the Fruit Quality and Yield |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rootstocks Comparison in Grafted Watermelon under Water Deficit: Effects on the Fruit Quality and Yield |
| title_short | Rootstocks Comparison in Grafted Watermelon under Water Deficit: Effects on the Fruit Quality and Yield |
| title_sort | rootstocks comparison in grafted watermelon under water deficit effects on the fruit quality and yield |
| topic | deficit irrigation strategy water productivity crop evapotranspiration root system |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/3/509 |
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