The growing use of herbaceous grafting in horticulture face frequently with the weak knowledge of the right cultivation techniques of farmers which find often no little problems when it comes the time to choose the best grafting for their needs. Soil structure, quality of water, transplant period, length of the cultivation cycle and the typology of the product to graft (cherry,cluster/bunch, elongated, etc.), these are only some of the different variables that must be taken in consideration by farmers who decide to use grafting to fight against root pathologies. A complex choice that usually brings farmers that are new with this type of cultivation to collect disappointing fruits. One of the choices that appears to be wrong in the majority of cases, is the use of very vigorous grafting that compromise the vegetal-reproductive balance of the plant also when this sort of vigor is not always necessary. Today it is fundamental to well know not only top-graft/scion and grafting features but also the relationship that occurs between the two. The tendency of using middle-vigor grafting is spreading increasingly because these kind of grafting are easier to manage for farmers that have the possibility to “guide/lead” them easily through/thanks to irrigation and manuring/feeding levers.
Balanced grafting allow to balance at the best the vegetative and the reproductive phases in order to obtain a qualitative production. We recommend the use of vigorous grafting (like Red devil F1) in high salinity conditions, soil tiredness, (panetti) for out-soil particularly exploited mainly.
You can find here some tips to know before the choose of the right grafting:
- Soil composition ( If it is out-soil/off-soil take into account the panetto volume and state);
- Waters analysis;
- Greenhouses structures and growing typology (vertical, gancettato, inclined)
- Cultivation cycle length;
- Transplant date;
- Tomato typology you want to grow: cherry, cluster/bunch, green, ox heart, (ovetto), etc;
- Variety data regarding vigor and internodi length;
If you need some help to understand which kind of grafting to use for your culture do not hesitate to contact us.
