Grafted tomatoes tolerate heat and waterlogging

Farmers in the tropics can now grow tomatoes all the year round. This is achieved by grafting young tomato plants onto an eggplant rootstock which enables them to withstand high temperatures and waterlogged soils. During periods of the tropical year it is impossible to grow a crop of tomatoes. The high temperatures coupled with heavy rain kill them. Some varieties have been developed at the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre (AVRDC) that will stand high temperatures, but not wet feet. Raised beds and plastic shelters help, but they are not entirely satisfactory. Looking for another solution, AVRDC researchers noticed that eggplants tolerate waterlogged conditions. They experimented with grafting young tomato plants onto the roots of young eggplants. The grafted plants produced a crop of tomatoes, while normal plants died. Grafting is simple: all that is required is rubber tubing of the type used for bicycle valves. Eggplants are sown 10 days ahead of the tomatoes. When the tomato plants are the three trueleaf stage both plants are cut at an angle of 30\B0 and both ends are slipped into the rubber tube. The grafted plants are kept at 80% humidity under shade and within three days are ready to be hardened off. They can be planted out within five days. Trained personnel can graft 200 plants an hour. AVRDC PO Box 42 Shanhua Tainan 74199 TAIWANFarmers in the tropics can now grow tomatoes all the year round. This is achieved by grafting young tomato plants onto an eggplant rootstock which enables them to withstand high temperatures and waterlogged soils. During periods of the tropical..