INFLUENCE OF GRAFTING ON YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF PEPPER (CAPSICUM ANNUUM L.) GROWN UNDER GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS

With the aim of determining whether grafting could improve the agronomic behaviour of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), a greenhouse experiment was carried out to determine growth, yield and fruit quality of two bell pepper hybrid cultivars (Edo and Lux), either ungrafted or grafted onto five commercial rootstocks 'Snooker', 'Tresor', 'RX360', 'DRO8801' and '97.9001'. Grafted plants were 29 and 28% taller than control for 'Edo' and 'Lux' cultivars, respectively. Total yield, marketable yield and fruit number were significantly influenced by rootstock, whereas no significant difference was observed on unmarketable yield, marketable fruit mean weight and fruit shape index for both cultivars. Grafted plants produced 22-46% more marketable yield than control plants for 'Edo'. A similar trend was also observed on 'Lux', where the grafted plants had 25% more marketable yield in comparison to ungrafted plants. The lowest marketable yield recorded on ungrafted plants for 'Edo' and 'Lux' was related to a reduction in fruit number and not to the fruit mean weight. Nutritional qualities of grafted peppers such as fruit dry matter, total soluble solids contents, titratable acidity were similar in comparison to those of ungrafted plants. Since grafting increased the crop vigour and yield, and following the abandonment of methyl bromide, grafting technique should be useful for low-input sustainable horticulture of the future.