Evaluation of Grafting onto Different Rootstocks on Yield and Disease Incidence of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Under Verticillium and Fusarium Wilt Stress

Grafting is an effective strategy for enhancing disease resistance and improving eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) yield under pathogen stress. This study examined the effects of grafting onto different rootstocks in a soilless culture system contaminated with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melongenae and Verticillium dahliae. A split-plot experimental design with three replicates was employed to assess disease severity, yield components, and marketable fruit production. Results indicated that grafting onto specific rootstocks significantly increased marketable yield and reduced disease severity. In Verticillium-infected plants, the KingKong F₁ exhibited the highest early yield (2.75 kg plant⁻¹) and marketable yield (5.01 kg plant⁻¹), whereas self-grafted plants had the lowest yield (3.51 kg plant⁻¹). In Fusarium-infected plants, the Hawk rootstock achieved the highest marketable yield (5.20 kg plant⁻¹), representing a 68.28% increase over non-grafted control plants. Disease severity was significantly lower in grafted plants, with Hawk and KingKong F₁ showed complete resistance to Verticillium wilt, while Hawk, KingKong F₁, Anafor F₁, and Hikyaku F₁ exhibited complete resistance to Fusarium wilt. These findings underscore the efficacy of grafting as a sustainable disease management strategy, enhancing eggplant productivity in pathogen-stressed cultivation systems.