Solanum torvum as a Compatible Rootstock in Interspecific Tomato Grafting

Abstract

Two tomato scions (‘Celebrity’ and ‘CLN3212A’) were grafted onto Solanum torvum and tomato ‘Maxifort’ rootstock to determine compatibility. Experimental design included self-grafted and non-grafted control rootstocks. Seed vs. vegetative S. torvum rootstocks were also compared to further explore grafting options. Average number of days for graft fusion and survival rate was measured for each scion/rootstock combination. Vegetative S. torvum cuttings had the poorest grafting success rate as a rootstock (50% for both scions), while all other rootstock genotypes had statistically similar or higher success rates. There was no significant difference in time to graft fusion among any grafted genotypes. High compatibility of seed-derived S. torvum suggests its potential use as an interspecific grafting rootstock in areas where access to seed is readily available.