Impact of plant grafting and microbial inoculations on yield and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) under lower amounts of water and chemical fertilizers

Due to climate change, water resources are constantly declining and this has a direct impact on the irrigation of plant crops, while the production of chemical fertilizers requires the use of large amounts of energy, which are largely non-recoverable. The use of grafted tomatoes and soil microbial inoculation with Azotobacter vinelandii enhanced the nutrient uptake, efficiency of water consumption, yield and fruit quality. The main objective of the research is to point out the higher tolerance of the grafted plants to the combined stress due to the reduced amounts of water and chemical fertilizers. The following characteristics of the cultivated plants were determined: medium yield ha^‑1, nutritional and commercial quality of fruits (expressed as dry matter, total carbohydrates, titrable acidity and vitamin C). Analyzing the effect of the soil inoculated with Azotobacter vinelandii and the influence of the rootstock on the average yield and fruit quality, using lower amounts of water and chemical fertilizers (nitrogen and phosphorus), a higher production and a superior quality of tomato fruits with a great value on the market was recorded. As a comparison with the conventional technology of tomatoes, the results of the research have proved that no changes were identified in the nutritional and nutraceutical quality of the fruits harvested from grafted tomatoes cultivated on a conventional soil or inoculated with Azotobacter vinelandii.