Many farmers had bad experiences cultivating grafted plants. The approach to lead this type of cultivation is not in fact so predictable. During last few years we met farmers that, at the end of bad experiences, they did not want to have something to do with grafted plants. For many cases the main problem was a wrong or rush combination of top-graft and rootstock while in some others a bad management of water and feedings.
The use of common rootstocks lead often to issues regarding an excessive flea development that means a deterioration of the phytosanitary conditions of the cultivation, especially when it is not easy to supply a sufficient ventilation between plants with a consequent development of mildew. Others problems regard the quality of the final product ( low/weak color, low savory/salinity, packaging of fruits, loss of typical shape) while/and some others are relied at important maturation delays, in winter especially.
This occurs because one is obliged to reduce water and feedings consequently. Today, the use of Blue Devil F1 and Red Devil F1 allowed the resolution/simple management of this issues that often occur in winter periods. These rootstocks do not have crossings with wild species of Lycoperisicon at the inside of their genetic because of their intra-specific nature, we are talking so of real tomato hybrids and this is the reason why they are able to well manage vegetative and generative phase also during winter periods, thanks to the balanced water absorption and, consequently, of the necessary feeding elements available in solution.
This “simple” difference brings to the solution of the issues regarding water management and so delays and dysfunctions that are often noticed with the use of many others rootstocks. It is important to stress that until now, since/thanks to tests made on field, it has been evidenced that Blue and Red Devil only pledge productive continuity on long cycles, between the all intra-specific types. In conclusion, we can state that Blue and Red Devil pledge so productive continuity, also in very long cycles, early maturation/ripening, kept of the typical fruit shape, color and taste/flavor improvement/increase.
