Tomato Grafting Brings Resistance, Vigour, and Higher Yield Potential
How do you make 1+1=4? Grafting. One rootstock plus one scion equals four unique benefits: germination, uniformity, vigour, and disease resistance.
For tomato growers around the world, grafting programs give them the opportunity to combine the best root protection with the best above-ground plants. With so many threats against tomatoes, having protection from roots to fruit can help protect yield potential and quality.
“In high tech greenhouses in Benelux, more than 95% of our growers use grafted programs because it provides the vigour and protection they’re looking for,” said Mark Versluis, Product Specialist for High Tech Greenhouse Tomatoes in northwest Europe.
In Spain, Mexico, and Turkey, mid-tech greenhouses employ grafting programs as well and are increasing in popularity globally. By meeting the quality and health requirements provided by growers and young plant raisers and addressing disease concerns, grafting superior rootstock and scion can help tomato producers succeed.
Give Plants a Strong Start
Whether located in Spain or Australia or anywhere around the world, having healthy plants from the beginning of the season through the end of the season helps support better performance.
“We’ve been using grafted programs for around 25 years in Spain, 90% of the crop in Almeria uses it,” explained Rafael Salinas, Product Specialist for Tomato in Spain. “Growers started using it for the protective qualities and later added germination, uniformity, and high vigour as requirements.”
Young Plant Raisers prioritize the highest number of viable plants to provide growers, and for growers it’s having plants that can withstand threats throughout the season. The benefits are vast, including:
• Plant stress tolerance.
• Resistance to soil diseases.
• Extended crop cycles.
• Potential for higher yields.
• Maintain season-long product quality.
“With rootstock, it’s in fact, all about yield,” said Arthur van Marrewijk, Product Specialist for High Tech Greenhouses. “And we’ve seen in independent trials that our rootstocks are really performing competitively.”
Protect Plants from Root to Fruit
Whether it’s a soil-borne disease such as Fusarium, or a disease that impacts crops mid-season, defense against common threats in tomatoes is a key to success. With grafting, growers and young plant raisers can combine the best rootstock genetics with the best scion genetics for a well-balanced plant.
“In long-season grafted tomato production, growers prioritize securing healthy plants and marketable yield, whereas Young Plant Raisers demand high usable plant rates and compatibility with a wide range of scions,” said Tolga Akinci, Product Specialist Manager in Turkey.
Syngenta’s four ToBRFV-resistant rootstocks offer resistance to a wide range of soil-borne diseases, such as Verticillium wilt (HR), Fusarium wilt (HR), and corky root (IR). In addition, select varieties provide resistance to emerging threats, including ToBRFV to secure higher yield potential.
Whole-Plant Protection with ToBRFV-Resistant Rootstock and Scion
In the case of new and emerging diseases, such as ToBRFV, using rootstock and scion with resistance can give growers an edge against the virus. At Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, four rootstocks and more than 80 scions include intermediate resistance to ToBRFV.
ToBRFV is systemic—once the infection enters the plant it travels throughout the plant to infect as much as possible. This means every in/centimetre of the plant should have some form of ToBRFV protection, paired with good greenhouse management to help reduce the chances of severe disease development.
“Now, with the rugose resistance, it’s really interesting,” said Peter Schleicher, Germplasm Develop Tomato Specialties. “People are starting to talk about what’s happening in the roots and they better understand the interaction between the roots and upper parts of the plant.”
There are four rootstocks with resistance to ToBRFV in the line-up today, including Armour, Fervour, Honor, and Kronosor. Learn more here.
