Advances in vegetable grafting: A modern tool for sustainable olericulture

Abstract

Vegetable grafting is the process of removing the stem (Scion) from a vegetable plant seedling and joining it to the plant's rootstock. Vegetable grafting is a method that increases yield when faced with biotic and abiotic challenges like sub- and supra-optimal temperatures, salt, drought, pest damage, diseases, and other similar problems, and also enhances quality traits (e.g., TSS, pigments). Vegetable grafting is having potential to expand the area under cultivation of vegetables under non-traditional conditions and unstable agro-eco-systems and there it has a scope to increase production per unit land available. Vegetable grafting is widely used in cucurbitaceous (cucumber, melon, and watermelon) and Solanaceous crops (eggplant, pepper, and tomato). Vegetable grafting complements existing horticultural practices by offering an eco-friendly alternative, which is a more environmentally friendly technique, such as reduced rates and overall use of soil fumigants. For the development of resistant cultivars, vegetable grafting is a quick and inexpensive substitute for time-consuming and laborious breeding methods. As a skill-intensive technique, it now benefits from robotic systems to reduce labor and optimize costs.