Effect of grafting on yield and some quality properties in cucumber

Grafting of cucurbits is an effective technique to overcome biotic and abiotic stres factors and it is also used to increase yield and fruit quality. Cucumber is an important vegetable crop that benefits significantly from grafting. In this regards, the influence of grafting on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of cucumber 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. Fifteen genotypes were used as rootstock. Grafting significantly increased marketable yield, number of marketable fruits and fruit weight, but did not affect unmarketable yield. While the marketable yield in ungrafted plants was 11,67 kg/plant, the yield was 12,97 kg/plant by grafting. The yield increased 11.13% with grafting. The highest yield was obtained from Euramid Fı rootstock. Root fresh and 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 cucumber fruits was inconsistent. The influence of grafting on the total phenolic and total antioxidant content in cucumber fruits which are the important quality caharacteristics was found significant and grafting increased phenolic and antioxidant content. As a result, yield, growth and quality parameters in cucumber were increased significantly by grafting. Effects of grafting on yield and quality were changed according to rootstocks.