Grafting tomato on eggplant as a potential tool to improve waterlogging tolerance in hybrid tomato

This study was conducted at ICAR-IIVR, Varanasi during 2013–14. Four eggplant rootstocks v.i.z., IC-354557, IC111056, IC-374873 and CHBR-2 were used, while hybrid tomato(Arka Rakshak and Arka Samrat) were used asscion cultivars. Both grafted and non-grafted plants were exposed to waterlogging stress for 72 and 96 hr, respectively during vegetative and reproductive stages. Experimental finding revealed that there was no leaf chlorosis and wilting in the plant, and was less reduction in chlorophyll content (CCI), chlorophyll fluorescence yield (Fv/Fm) in all plant growth stages, when tomato hybrids were grafted over eggplant rootstocks. In contrast, the non-grafted plants have registered 39.6–41% reduction in Fv/Fm and 41–100% reduction in CCI at 96 hr after exposing the waterlogging stress. Non-grafted plants wilted and die 4–7 days after relieving from stress; whereas the grafted plants completely recovered from stress shock in 7–10 days after relieving from stress. It may conclude from the present study that grafting tomato onto eggplant rootstocks, particularly on IC-354557 and IC-111056 may improve water logging tolerance for 7296 hr in tomato hybrids.