Grafting Enables Cantaloupe to Tolerate More Saline Stress

El-Kafafi, S. H.; Abu El-Azm, Nashwa A. I.; Hikal, M. S.

doi:10.21608/jpp.2017.40518

Grafting Enables Cantaloupe to Tolerate More Saline Stress

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Botany Dept., Faculty of Agric., Al-Azhar Univ., Cairo, Egypt.

² Hort. Dept., Faculty of Agric., Ain Shams Univ., Cairo, Egypt.

³ Biochemistry Dept., Faculty of Agric., Ain Shams Univ., Cairo, Egypt.

10.21608/jpp.2017.40518

Abstract

Grafting cantaloupe plants onto cucurbita rootstocks make it utilize by these rootstocks features i.e. higher absorption mass of water and nutrient, higher surface area and abiotic stress tolerance. The cantaloupe Cucumis melo var cantaloupensis Cv. Marella was grafted onto three rootstocks were Shintosa, Star and Cobalt. The plants were grown hydroponically in sand culture under three saline concentrations of 0, 100 and 150 mM NaCl for 30 days to investigate the effects of salinity on grafted Cantaloupe plants compared with non-grafted ones. The results proved that The results proved that grafted Cantaloupe plants had a better performance than the non-grafted ones especially grafted onto Star rootstock. Grafted plants recorded highest growth vigor as indicted by shoot and root fresh and dry biomass, shoot length, number of leaves and stem diameter compare to non-grafted plants under saline and control conditions. Mineral uptake was significantly affected by rootstocks and salinity levels. Accumulation of sodium (Na⁺) was reduced in grafted plants compared with non-grafted ones. Nitrogen (N), Potassium (K⁺) and Magnesium (Mg⁺⁺) uptake by shoots of both grafted and non-grafted Cantaloupe gradually decreased with increasing NaCl salt concentration. The concentration of K⁺, N and Mg⁺⁺ were higher in grafted plant leaves than non-grafted ones. Ratios of K⁺/Na⁺, N/Na⁺ and Mg⁺⁺/Na⁺ were affected by salt treatments and positively associated with plant growth traits. These ratios recorded higher values in grafted plants compared non-grafted ones under both saline and control conditions. It could recommended to grafting Cantaloupe to increase its tolerance to saline conditions.

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