GRAFT TAKES OF TOMATO ON OTHER SOLANACEOUS PLANTS

ABSTRACT This paper aimed to assess tomato grafting on different solanaceous species through two grafting methods. Scions were cut from cultivar Santa Cruz Kada seedlings. A fully randomized experimental design was carried out with treatments in a 9 x 2 factorial scheme. As rootstocks, four accessions of mini-tomatoes (0224-53, RVTC 57, RVTC 20 and 6889-50 - Solanum lycopersicum L); two species of wild tomato (Solanum habrochaites var hirsutum ‘PI-127826’ and Solanum pennellii ‘LA716’); other two tomato species [Solanum, cocona (Solanum sessiliflorum) and physalis (Physalis peruviana)] and a control with cultivar Santa Cruz Kada (auto-graft) rootstocks were used. In addition, two grafting methods were evaluated full cleft and approach graft. Fifteen days after grafting, plants were assessed for graft-take percentage; root length; plant height; leaf number; foliar area; root, stem and leaf dry matter; and ratio between shoot and root dry matter. Based on the results, we may state rootstock and grafting interaction had effect on both graft -take rate and plant development. Overall, the studied plants should be recommended as rootstock, except for 6889-50 mini-tomato (S. lycopersicum L.) and S. pennellii. Full cleft grafting was most suitable for cocona and physalis, while the approach method showed better results for the mini-tomato accessions 0224-53, RVTC 57 and RVTC 20, as well as for S. habrochaites.