Detailed Explanation of Eggplant Grafting Techniques and Rootstock Selection Methods
How to graft eggplant?
During greenhouse production in the south, eggplants are often attacked by Fusarium wilt, causing large numbers of plants to die. Using eggplant varieties resistant to Fusarium wilt as rootstock for grafting can effectively prevent the occurrence of Fusarium wilt. On the other hand, eggplant growth requires relatively high temperatures, and as a heat-tolerant vegetable, eggplant in early-maturing cultivation will suffer from excessively low soil temperatures that affect root growth, and further affect earliness; practice has proven that tomato, which belongs to the same family as eggplant, has relatively strong cold tolerance, especially wild tomato, whose suitable root growth temperature is much lower than that of eggplant. Using this wild tomato as rootstock and eggplant as scion for grafting can improve the cold tolerance of eggplant, thereby facilitating the earliness of eggplant. Eggplant is commonly grafted using the cleft grafting method.
I. Rootstock varieties: For wild eggplant, select varieties with high resistance to Verticillium wilt, requiring vigorous plant growth, a well-developed root system, and deeper distribution.
Suitable tomato varieties include Maofen 802, Zhongshu No. 4, Zhongshu No. 5 and other mid-to-late maturing varieties. Tomato is resistant to Verticillium wilt, and seedling-raising techniques are easy to master.
II. Scion varieties: The most commonly used in production are Moqie and Sanye Qie.
III. Suitable sowing dates for rootstock and scion: When wild eggplant is used as rootstock, the sowing date should be 15-20 days earlier than that of eggplant. When tomato is used as rootstock, eggplant should be sown 7-10 days earlier, and tomato should be sown when the eggplant cotyledons emerge through the soil.
IV. Seed treatment: For wild eggplant, the seed rate per mu is 15-20 grams. Sun the seeds for 6-8 hours, soak them in 0.1% carbendazim solution for 1 hour, remove and rinse clean, then soak them in (1-2)x10-4 gibberellin at 20-30°C for 24 hours, and wash clean. Scald the seeds in 55°C hot water for 30 minutes, then soak them in 30°C water at constant temperature for 8 hours, wash off the mucus on the seed coat, wrap them in clean gauze for germination, controlling at 25-30°C for 16-18 hours and at 16-20°C for 6-8 hours in alternating temperature germination, rinse once with warm water in the morning and evening, and sow after the seeds show white in 10-15 days.
Tomato and eggplant seed treatment is the same as in ordinary cultivation.
V. Grafted seedling stage: When the rootstock and scion seedlings have 1-2 leaves, prick out the seedlings. Prick out rootstock seedlings into 9x9 or 10x10 nutrient cups, and prick out scion seedlings in the seedbed with a plant spacing of 6 cm square. When the rootstock is at the 5-6 leaf stage with a stem diameter of about 3 mm, and the scion is at the 4-5 leaf stage with a stem diameter of 2 mm, it is the suitable period for grafting.
VI. Grafting method: Cleft grafting is used. Cut the eggplant seedling horizontally 2-3 cm below the cotyledons, and sharpen it into a wedge shape with a blade, with the slanted surface about 1 cm long; keep the cotyledons and 1 to 2 true leaves on the rootstock, cut off the top horizontally, then make a vertical cut downward from the exact center of the stem to a depth of about 1 cm, insert the eggplant wedge (at least one side of the cambium of the rootstock and scion should align), then clip on a clip in the direction of the cut, and place it into the grafting seedbed promptly.
I. Rootstock varieties: For wild eggplant, select varieties with high resistance to Verticillium wilt, requiring vigorous plant growth, a well-developed root system, and deeper distribution.
Suitable tomato varieties include Maofen 802, Zhongshu No. 4, Zhongshu No. 5 and other mid-to-late maturing varieties. Tomato is resistant to Verticillium wilt, and seedling-raising techniques are easy to master.
II. Scion varieties: The most commonly used in production are Moqie and Sanye Qie.
III. Suitable sowing dates for rootstock and scion: When wild eggplant is used as rootstock, the sowing date should be 15-20 days earlier than that of eggplant. When tomato is used as rootstock, eggplant should be sown 7-10 days earlier, and tomato should be sown when the eggplant cotyledons emerge through the soil.
IV. Seed treatment: For wild eggplant, the seed rate per mu is 15-20 grams. Sun the seeds for 6-8 hours, soak them in 0.1% carbendazim solution for 1 hour, remove and rinse clean, then soak them in (1-2)x10-4 gibberellin at 20-30°C for 24 hours, and wash clean. Scald the seeds in 55°C hot water for 30 minutes, then soak them in 30°C water at constant temperature for 8 hours, wash off the mucus on the seed coat, wrap them in clean gauze for germination, controlling at 25-30°C for 16-18 hours and at 16-20°C for 6-8 hours in alternating temperature germination, rinse once with warm water in the morning and evening, and sow after the seeds show white in 10-15 days.
Tomato and eggplant seed treatment is the same as in ordinary cultivation.
V. Grafted seedling stage: When the rootstock and scion seedlings have 1-2 leaves, prick out the seedlings. Prick out rootstock seedlings into 9x9 or 10x10 nutrient cups, and prick out scion seedlings in the seedbed with a plant spacing of 6 cm square. When the rootstock is at the 5-6 leaf stage with a stem diameter of about 3 mm, and the scion is at the 4-5 leaf stage with a stem diameter of 2 mm, it is the suitable period for grafting.
VI. Grafting method: Cleft grafting is used. Cut the eggplant seedling horizontally 2-3 cm below the cotyledons, and sharpen it into a wedge shape with a blade, with the slanted surface about 1 cm long; keep the cotyledons and 1 to 2 true leaves on the rootstock, cut off the top horizontally, then make a vertical cut downward from the exact center of the stem to a depth of about 1 cm, insert the eggplant wedge (at least one side of the cambium of the rootstock and scion should align), then clip on a clip in the direction of the cut, and place it into the grafting seedbed promptly.