Effects of Grafting on Vegetative Growth, Fruit Quality, and Seed Traits in Melon (Cucumis melo var. inodorus)
Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, cilt.54, sa.2, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 54 Sayı: 2
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.15835/nbha54215162
- Dergi Adı: Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CAB Abstracts, Directory of Open Access Journals, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), East & Central Europe Database (ProQuest), Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: hybrid, quality parameters, rootstock, scion, yield components
- Çukurova Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of grafting on plant growth, fruit quality, and seed traits in melon within a controlled hybridization program, and to determine whether grafting should be applied to the female or male parent in hybrid seed production. Two double haploid melon lines, DA5 and SR31, were used as scions and grafted onto three different rootstocks (Nun9075, Maximus, and Sphinx), and were compared with self-grafted (DA5/DA5; SR31/SR31) and non-grafted control plants. In the hybridization program, DA5 was used as the female and SR31 as the male parent. Parental lines were grafted onto the rootstocks and 25 controlled crosses were conducted over two years. The results indicated that grafting had no significant effect on vegetative parameters such as plant length and stem diameter, although the DA5 line exhibited stronger vegetative growth compared to SR31. Promoted the number of seeds per fruit, with increases of 21% Sphinx, 19% self-grafted plants, 14% Maximus, and 8% in Nun9075 rootstock combinations. The highest fruith yield and fruit parameters were obtained in hybridization combinations where the female plant was non-grafted and the male plant was grafted, particularly when SR31 was grafted onto the Maximus rootstock. In addition, the Maximus/DA5 combination improved seed yield, while self-grafted and Nun9075 rootstock combinations increased seed germination rates. Overall, the findings indicate that for hybrid seed production, crossing the non grafted female parent with grafted male parent provides superior fruit quality and seed performance, highlighting an effective strategy for optimizing hybridization programs in melon breeding.