Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) Rootstocks Morphological Characterization and their Influence on Fruit of Grafted Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under Bundelkhand Conditions

This study was conducted during the rabi seasons of 2023-24 and 2024-25 at the Vegetable Research Farm, Centre for Protected Cultivation Technology, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda, Uttar Pradesh. The objective was to evaluate the impact of brinjal rootstocks on fruit weight and root morphology in tomato under Bundelkhand’s stress-prone agro-climatic conditions. Two improved tomato cultivars, Kashi Aman and Kashi Adarsh, were grafted onto five brinjal rootstocks including two wild types (Solanum torvum and Solanum incanum) and three cultivated lines (IC-111056, Surya and Zippy). The experiment was laid out in a RBD with three replications under open-field conditions. Grafting significantly influenced fruit weight and root traits such as surface area, volume, root length density and diameter. The highest fruit weight was recorded in Kashi Aman grafted onto IC111056 (64.30 g), showing a 25.4% increase over its ungrafted Kashi Aman (51.27 g). Root length density was 29.91% higher in IC111056/Kashi Aman (6268.65 cm³/m³) compared to ungrafted Kashi Aman (4823.89 cm³/m³). Surface area increased by 27.4% in Zippy/Kashi Aman (1526.62 cm²) over the control (1197.97 cm²). Root diameter was 47.9% higher in IC111056/Kashi Aman (1.218 mm) than in ungrafted Kashi Aman (0.824 mm). Root volume showed a 33.2% improvement in Surya/Kashi Aman (17.47 cm³) compared to the control (13.11 cm³). These results indicate that IC111056, Surya and Zippy rootstocks effectively enhance fruit weight and root architecture in grafted tomato, offering a promising strategy for improving productivity in the Bundelkhand region.