Evaluation of some rootstocks for Solanaceous vegetables in Romania

This study aims at identifying some rootstocks for solanaceous vegetables and to evaluate their influence in plant yield or plant growth. These vegetables (tomato, pepper and eggplant) are very popular crops in Romania. Vegetable crops are very sensitive to climatic vagaries, so fluctuation in climatic parameters at any phase of growth can affect the yield. Grafting on Solanaceae is a method that has improved and spread quickly during the past years, a similar approach to crop rotation, a practice meant to increase fruit quality and productivity, resistance or tolerance to soil diseases and pests, as well as to abiotic factors. The research was conducted at the Horting Institute, Bucharest, Romania. Several aspects are taken into account in the use of rootstocks: environmental adaptability, fruit quality, resistance/tolerance to soil diseases and pests, drought, floods, soil salinization, heavy metal content, organic pollutants. Some resistant rootstocks have been identified worldwide (Solanum mammosum, S. torvum, S. integrifolium, S. sisymbriifolium, S. toxicarium, S. mamals, ‘Beaufort F₁’, ‘Maxifort F₁’, ‘Resistar F₁’, ‘Heman F₁’, ‘Eldorado F₁’, ‘Primavera F₁’, ‘Nova F₁’, ‘Packmore F₁’, ‘Jjak Kkung’, ‘Cheong Gang’, ‘LA3957’, ‘IC-354557’). Several rootstocks are very frequently used in Romania; ‘Emperador F₁’, ‘Beaufort F₁’, ‘Efialto F₁’, ‘Groundforce F₁’ for tomatoes, ‘Emperador F₁’, ‘Hykiaku F₁’ for eggplants, ‘Foundation F₁’, ‘Guardian F₁’ for peppers have been identified and researched at Horting Institute. In this study were evaluated the following rootstocks: ‘Emperador F₁’ for tomatoes and eggplants, ‘Foundation F₁’ for peppers. By comparing the fruit yield of the three studied grafted and non-grafted cultivars it has been showed that all grafted tomato, pepper and eggplant cultivars have had very good results, the values obtained being higher with 14.64, 23.08 and 25.44% than at non-grafted cultivars.