Grafting is one of the most effective ways to increase crop productivity and double farmers’ income. Inter-specific grafting is emerging as a promising tool for increasing vegetable tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses while also increasing productivity.
Dual or multiple grafting is a new technology that involves grafting two or more scions from the same family together to produce numerous vegetables from a single plant.
Fertilizer used for treatment –
The fertilizers were applied at 150:60:100 Kg NPK/ha, besides 25 Tonnes of FYM. Both the Tomato and Brinjal started fruiting 60 – 70 days after planting.
After a successful field demonstration of Grafted Pomato, i.e. Potato and Tomato, the Dual Grafting of Brimato, i.e. Brinjal and Tomato, was exhibited in 2020-21 at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR) in Varanasi (UP). The Kashi Sandesh Brinjal Hybrid and the Kashi Aman improved Tomato cultivar were grafted onto the IC 111056 brinjal rootstock.
Method –
Brinjal seedlings were 25 to 30 days old when grafted, whereas Tomato seedlings were 22 to 25 days old. Around 5% of seedlings with the Brinjal Rootstock – IC 111056 grow two branches. The grafting was done using the side or splice method, which involved slanting incisions in the Rootstock and Scion of 5 to 7 MM.
Immediately after grafting, the seedlings were set under an optimal condition, where the temperature, moistness, and light were kept at optimal for the preliminary 5 – 7 days. Later in the incomplete shade for another 5 – 7 days.
The grafted plants were then transported to the field (approximately 15 – 18 days after grafting). During the early stages of growth, safety precautions were taken to ensure that Brinjal and Tomato Scions grew in a balanced manner. In addition, any branches that appeared below the grafting union were eliminated right away.
Results –
Tomatoes produced 36.0 fruits with 2.383 kg yields per plant, whereas Brinjal produced 2.684 kg yields from 9.2 fruits per plant, according to the results of the experiment.
The ‘Dual Grafted Brimato’ is ideal for urban and suburban locations where there is a shortage of space for vegetables in a vertical garden or terrace garden.