Effect of grafting on yield and some quality properties in eggplant

Grafting of vegetable crops is an effective technique to overcome soilborne diseases and pests and it is often used to increase yield and fruit quality. Eggplant is an important vegetable crop that benefits significantly from grafting. In this regards, the influence of grafting on agronomical and qualitative characteristics of eggplant was investigated in this study. Grafted plants were compared with ungrafted and self grafted plants in the greenhouse, soilles culture. Sterile peat + perlite mixture was used as the culture medium.14T0939, Köksal Fı, ES3324-MD18, Rootstock C, Kalyon Fı, Beaufort Fı, Hamarat Fı and Vil-To genotypes were used as rootstock. Grafting significantly increased marketable yield and number of marketable fruits, but did not affect unmarketable yield and weight of marketable fruits. While the marketable yield in ungrafted plants was 12,24 kg/plant, the yield was 15,52 kg/plant by grafting. The highest yield was obtained from Hamarat Fı rootstock. Root dry weight of plants grafted on rootstocks was significantly higher than control plants. The effect of grafting on the soluble solid dry matter and titretable acidity in eggplant fruits was inconsistent. Color parameters ("L", "a", "b") of eggplant fruits were not increase by grafting. The effect of grafting on the total phenolic and total antioxidant content in eggplant fruits was found significant and grafting increased phenolic and antioxidant content. As a result, grafting of eggplant onto rootstocks yielded significant in yield and fruit quality.