ABSTRACT
Vegetable grafting technology, originally developed in east Asia over half a century ago, has been practiced in many countries today around the world, particularly in the production of highvalue solanaceous and cucurbitaceous crops, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), eggplant (Solanum melongena), pepper (Capsicum annuum), melon (Cucumis melo), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus) (Lee and Oda, 2003; Lee et al., 2010). By connecting vascular bundles at the graft union between the scion and rootstock plants, a new plant can be created that combines desirable aboveground traits provided by the scion and superior belowground traits provided by the rootstock. As an effective tool for managing soilborne diseases, grafting plays an important role in maintaining and improving crop productivity under intensive cultivation and protected culture especially where crop rotation is rather limited and disease pressure may easily build up (Guan et al., 2012; Louws et al., 2010). With the phase-out of methyl bromide and the challenge in seeking alternative soil fumigants, along with the increasing concerns and regulations regarding chemical inputs in agricultural systems, grafting as an environment-friendly cultural practice is becoming more widely recognized for improving sustainability of vegetable production.
