Impact of grafting and planting density on growth, yield and quality of hydroponic tomato grown in Qatar

Hot and humid climatic conditions offer challenges for tomato production under protected environments.
The lack of stress tolerance cultivars and their pollen and plant ability to increase fruit set and yield are linked with lower tomato yield under abiotic stress conditions.
Therefore, three management approaches, cultivar selection, grafting, and plant density of organically grown hydroponic tomatoes, were evaluated on growth, yield, and quality in a controlled environments greenhouse in Qatar.
The experiment was carried out in a split-split plot design with ‘Velocity F₁’ and ‘Sigma F₁’ as main plot treatments; and a factorial arrangement of grafting combination and planting densities (3.5 and 5.5 plants m^‑2) was randomly assigned to the subplots.
Tomato cultivar ‘Velocity F₁’ grafted on ‘Maxifort F₁’ resulted in greater vegetative growth and enhanced phenological traits than non-grafted ‘Velocity F₁’ Grafted ‘Velocity F₁’ plants grown at 3.5 plants m^‑2 had an increase in leaf photosynthetic rates (18%), and less transpiration loss (16%), while maintaining stomatal conductance and intercellular CO₂ concentrations.
Also, canopy growth was higher (24%), and flowering occurred 3 days earlier with grafted ‘Velocity F₁’ than with non-grafted transplants.
Higher fruit set (20%) and less flower drop (17%) were also observed in grafted ‘Velocity F₁’ transplants than in non-grafted transplants.
Therefore, under this protected environment and hydroponic system, grafted tomato ‘Velocity F₁’ grown at 3.5 plants m^‑2 was the best management strategy to improve growth and mitigate abiotic stresses.

IX South-Eastern Europe Symposium on Vegetables and Potatoes

P.K. Dash, B. Guo, D.I. Leskovar

climate change, grafting, plant density, photosynthesis, controlled environment

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2024.1391.17