El-Eslamboly, A. A. S. A. and 2Abdel-Wahab, M. A. S.( 2014). Grafting Salinity Tolerant Rootstocks and Magnetic Iron Treatments for Cantaloupe Production under Conditions of High Salinity Soil and Irrigation WaterMiddle East Journal of Agriculture Research, 3(3): 677-693, 2014
ISSN 2077-460s
Abstract: Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses that reduce plant growth and crop productivity in many vegetable production areas of the world. Grafting can reprisent an important tool that can reduce yield losses cause by salinity stress in high-felding genotlpes ofcucurbits. The aim ofthe present study is to evaluate the compatibility and tolerant to salinity of many commercial and local rootstocks with cantaloupe (scion), also, studying the role of magnetic iron in overcoming salinity stress and the interaction between the mdgnetic iron and grafting treatments. The study was conducted during the two seasons of 2012 and 2013 under natural condition in areas affected by salinity at Wadi El- Natrown farm. Split plot in randomized complete block design with three
replications was used. Magnetite (magnetic iron) addition (0 and 300kg/ feddan) were randomly arranged in main plot and grafted cantaloupe Visa hybrid Fl onto five rootstocks were distributed randomly in sub plots. The rootstocks used were Bottle gourd (PI 534556 0l SD), Calabash gourd(Lagenaria siceraria), three commercial interspecific hybrids rootstocks (Cucurbita maxima x Cucurbita moschata) namely Shintos4 Ercole Fl hybrid (Nun 6001 Fl) and Super Shintosa Fl hybrid treatments beside ungrafted cantaloupe.
The results showed that, magnetic iron treatments gave significant increments on all vegetative growth, yield and physical fruit characteristics. Significant decreases were obtained in the stem diameter, total soluble solids (TSS) and total sugar content. Grafting on tolerant rootstocks is an effective method to overcome the problems of salinity. Grafting Visa Fl hybrid on all rootstocks gave significant increment in most vegetative growth, yield and fruit characteristics except TSS was decreased in both seasons. Bottle and calabash gourd Lagenaria siceraria rootstocks can be considered highly tolerant to saline condition, it was evident from the high content of Na in the leaves without
any harmful effect on other vegetative growth characters or fruit yield. Cucurbita hybrids rootstocks such as Super Shentosa, Shentosa and Ercole gave high yield, with low total sugar content and TSS in melon fruits. Grafting
cantaloupe on all rootstocks under study gave undesirable effects on fruit quality such as total soluble solids. The interaction between magnetite additions and grafting did not show any significant effects on vegetative growth except number of leaves, plant fresh and dry weight. In the same time that interaction gave significant increment in total yield without any effects in fruit physical and chemical characteristics. The study recommends that, applying magnetic iron and grafting melon onto tolerant rootstocks to saline can reduce the damage caused by the stresses of salinity.
Keywords: (Cantaloupe, salinity, grafting, rootstocks, growth, yield, fruit quality .)
