VegNet Vol. 15,
No. 9.
On the WEB at: http://vegnet.osu.edu
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fax, Call 614-292-3857
In This Issue
1. Insect News
2. Tomato Grafting
Insect
News
Corn
earworm: this pest is present in
Squash
vine borer: the adults are beginning to emerge. Our first catch of squash
vine borer moths in pheromone traps at
“Tomato
Grafting: Its Status and Potential” Dr. Matt Kleinhenz,
Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The
OSU-OARDC
Why Grafting?
Tomato and other vegetable crops routinely face less-than-ideal
conditions. Air and soil temperatures, nutrient levels, and soil moisture
availability can differ from crop preferences. And, disease organisms can
attack roots, foliage or fruit. What can farmers do to create ideal growing
conditions for their crops and protect them against disease?
Begin by becoming familiar with the principles and practices of
integrated crop management. Selecting the best available varieties, using
fertilizers, irrigation and crop protectants properly
and other practices help maximize short- and long-term profit potential.
These Best Management Practices are an excellent start to
successful production. For a growing number of farmers, however, high tunnel
use is also important.
A high tunnel is a relatively inexpensive tool used to protect
crops from extreme temperature, soil moisture, and wind conditions. In creating
specific microclimates, high tunnels also tend to disrupt the onset of certain pest
and disease problems common in open field production. Still, successful
long-term high tunnel production, especially of tomatoes in the earliest and
latest parts of the year, is challenging. Therefore, high tunnel users often
ask what they can do to optimize their systems.
Grafting may significantly improve high tunnel tomato production.
Grafting may also “revolutionize” open field production of tomato, eggplant,
pepper and other crops.
Grafting directly combines the traits of two varieties, one used
as a rootstock and the other as a scion. Grafted plants are now used in fruit
and hydroponic greenhouse vegetable production
worldwide and field vegetable production in Asia and parts of the U.S. Going
forward, organic growers may find the use of grafted plants particularly useful
since grafted plants are often more vigorous and disease resistant but require
lower soil nutrient levels than their un-grafted counterparts.
Research-based recommendations are required to successfully
integrate the use of grafted plants into all farmers’ toolboxes. The
1. Test grafted tomato plant performance in fields, high tunnels,
and greenhouses;
2. Develop tomato rootstocks that improve fruit yield and quality;
3. Explain rootstock, scion and growing condition effects on the
response of grafted plants to stress and resistance to disease; and
4. Increase knowledge about grafting and facilitate its successful
use on farms.
The project focuses on tomato grown in certifiable-organic
systems. However, what we learn can be applied to various crops and growing
areas, so numerous growers will benefit.
The project began in 2008. So far, the
1. Produced 5571 grafted plants involving ‘Celebrity’ as a scion
grafted onto thirty-five different varieties used as the rootstock;
2. Transferred grafted plants to
3. Established a total of 144 organic and conventional plots of
grafted plants at the OARDC in
In the near future:
1. Plants and fruit in all of the experimental plots in
2. Farmers will be invited to test grafted plants on their farms;
and
3. Programs on grafting, including how to graft tomato and other
vegetables, will be held.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the USDA Integrated Organics program (Grant
2007-51106-03794) and the Ohio Vegetable and Small Fruit Research and
Development program for their support of the project. We also appreciate the
support provided by The OSU-OARDC, Ohio State University Extension and the
departments of Horticulture and Crop Science and Plant Pathology.
Michelle Young, Sonia Walker, Troy Aldrich, Alba Clivati-McIntyre, Natalie Bumgarner,
Rosa Raudales, Jerrod Weyer,
Matt Hochmuth, Freddy Cruz, Lee Duncan, Keisa Hartzler, Bob Napier, Torri Leach, James Howell, John Elliott, and Bruce Williams
have provided excellent technical assistance to the project. Ohio Earth Food
Growers in