Rootstock effects on yield and some consumer important fruit quality parameters of eggplant cv. 'Madonna' under protected cultivation

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different rootstocks on the yield and quality of eggplant cv. 'Madonna' in soilless pot culture in an unheated polyethylene greenhouse. The eggplant was grafted onto several rootstocks, including tomato rootstocks Optifort (O) and Emperador (E), and four Solanum rootstocks; Solanum grandiflorum × Solanum melongena (SH), Solanum torvum (ST), Solanum melongena × Solanum integrifolium (SI), and Solanum integrifolium (A) compared with self-grafted (SG) and self-rooted (SR) as control. The results showed that the total marketable yield significantly increased by grafting onto ST (3.94 kg/plant), SH (3.36 kg/plant), and A (3.34 kg/plant) relative to SR (1.65 kg/plant). The chromatics characters of skin and pulp are slightly influenced by rootstocks. Our findings confirmed that grafting eggplant decreased firmness (except SH) of the flesh. Fruit harvested from the Optifort/Madonna combination had the rounded shape, lowest firmness, and Brix value, while the lowest oxidation potential was observed in this combination. The highest seed number was observed in SH/Madonna and SI/Madonna combinations. During the sensory evaluation, the lightest fruit flesh was found in SR, ST, and O, and the sweetest taste was observed in fruits harvested from ST rootstock.