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Plant Science Today (PST)

Review Articles

Early Access

Vegetables grafting: Green surgical fusion to combat biotic and abiotic stresses

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.4065
Submitted
7 June 2024
Published
15-11-2024
Versions

Abstract

Vegetables are considered protective foods with high nutritional value and play an important role in subsistence farming, generating more income. Vegetable crops are highly sensitive to weather fluctuations, which impact their growth, flowering and fruit development and ultimately reduce yield. Grafting has become a viable green surgical option to decelerate conventional breeding approaches to enhance resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses. It is the technique of uniting 2 plants with different genetic backgrounds to create a new one, allowing genetic differences to transfer to the scion. This process offers a better alternative to chemical sterilants in mitigating certain soil-borne diseases in vegetable crops. Solanaceous and Cucurbitaceous vegetable grafting is commercially practiced and has a greater impact in farmers’ fields. Grafting is suggested to mitigate environmental changes' negative impact on vegetable quantity and quality by enhancing physiological activities in plants grafted onto rootstocks with potential traits. This method offers insights into stress response mechanisms, improves stress tolerance and enhances vegetable yield and quality. Recent research on vegetable grafting aims to promote sustainable agriculture by offering resilient, high-yielding crop varieties, such as dual-grafted Brimato, suitable for urban and suburban areas. Research is necessary to comprehend the genetic mechanism and physiological process of grafting technology, with a focus on identifying key physiological processes associated with the characteristic features of rootstock.

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