A simplified technique for grafting watermelon onto resistant cucurbit rootstocks for control of Fusarium wilt of watermelon in Nghe An Province, Vietnam

Resistant cucurbit rootstocks provided an effective control measure for Fusarium wilt of watermelon caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum in Nghe An province, Vietnam. The hybrid cultivar, Bulrojangsaeng (Lagenaria siceraria) was the most suitable rootstock on all criteria but the seed is expensive. Therefore, the local Bau trang cultivar (L. siceraria) was adopted by farmers as the preferred rootstock on the basis of the low-cost seed. The grafting process is described and illustrated.