Inter-specific cucurbitaceous rootstock enhances plant growth, photosynthetic, root architecture and yield traits in grafted cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Anant Bahadur, Anish Kumar Singh, Sapana Yadav, Rajeev Kumar, Hare Krishna and Tusar Kanti Behera
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Anant Bahadur: Division of Vegetable Production, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, India
Anish Kumar Singh: Division of Vegetable Production, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, India
Sapana Yadav: Division of Vegetable Production, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, India
Rajeev Kumar: Division of Vegetable Production, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, India
Hare Krishna: Division of Vegetable Production, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, India
Tusar Kanti Behera: Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, India

Horticultural Science, 2025, vol. 52, issue 3, 237-249

Abstract: In recent years, grafting has emerged as an efficient and alternative tool to the relatively slow conventional breeding methods, aiming to increase tolerance to abiotic stresses and soil pathogens while improving yield and quality attributes in fruit vegetables. In the present investigation, six inter-specific cucurbitaceous rootstocks, viz. sponge gourd (SG), ridge gourd (RG), ash gourd (AG), bottle gourd (BG), and Summerfit (SF), an inter-specific hybrid of snap melon × acidulus melon, were evaluated for cucumber (C) cv. 'Kashi Nutan'. Experimental findings revealed that cucumber grafted onto inter-specific SF exhibited a 14.63%, 57.5%, and 20.05% increase in vine length, number of branches, and dry matter production, respectively, compared to the self-rooted control. Photosynthetic parameters such as photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (gs), and maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PS II) (Fv/Fm) were also higher in cucumber leaves grafted onto the SF rootstock. Compared to self-rooted plants, cucumber grafted onto SF recorded 72.3% more fruits, a 36.9% increase in fruit weight, and an 80.9% higher fruit yield. The SF rootstock also showed a 44.54% increase in total root length (TRL), a 77.11% increase in root volume, and a 27.25% increase in average root diameter over self-rooted cucumber.

Keywords: cucumber grafting; graft combinations; inter-specific cucurbit rootstocks; net photosynthesis rate; root architecture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:caa:jnlhor:v:52:y:2025:i:3:id:96-2024-hortsci

DOI: 10.17221/96/2024-HORTSCI

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