Grafting Tomato Onto Tobacco Rootstocks Is A Practical and Feasible Application for Higher Growth and Leafing in Different Tobacco-Tomato Unions

Abstract

A previously developed grafting strategy was applied to graft a commercial cultivated variety of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. H-2274) onto Nicotiana rustica L. (cv. Hasankeyf) and Nicotiana tabacum L. (cv. Samsun) rootstocks. Higher growth and leafing, and earlier flower onset were found in grafted than in non-grafted and self-grafted plants. Significant 22.7 and 34.3% increases in fruit yield were obtained with Samsun and Hasankeyf rootstocks, respectively. Leaves of tobacco-grafted plants had significantly elevated levels of nicotine, and highest leaf nicotine levels were measured at 90days after transplantation (DAT). Leaves from upper sampling levels of plants had significantly less nicotine independent of the sampling DAT. Fruits of all tobacco-grafted plants had significantly higher amounts of nicotine than non-grafted scions. Nicotine levels were higher in fruits sampled from lower parts of the plants for different harvest DAT and rootstocks. Increases in leaf nicotine concentration of tobacco-grafted plants were higher when compared with that of fruit. Grafting tomato onto tobacco rootstocks is a practical and feasible application for different tobacco-tomato unions.