Title : Performance of Grafted Galia and Ananas Melon Types under Different Salinity Concentrations
Abstract:
Salinity is a major factor in reduced crop productivity in many arid and semiarid regions. An environmentally, friendly approach to avoid or reduce salinity impairment in crop production is grafting of salt-sensitive plants onto salt-tolerant rootstocks. To evaluate the response of grafted Galia and Ananas type melons to salinity, two greenhouse experiments were conducted in NCARE Jordan. Two melon cultivars; Raymond (Ananas type) and Ra'anan (Galia type) were grafted onto two Cucurbita rootstocks; '53009' and '53004'. The grafted melons were grown in ten liter pots filled with perlite. The plants were irrigated with different saline water of 1.5, 3, 6 and 9 dS m-1 concentrations. In general, increasing salinity decreased plant growth parameters. Fresh shoot weight and leaf area were the most sensitive parameters that were affected by increasing salinity stress. Non-grafted "Ananas" melon was more salt tolerant compared to "Galia" type, however, this salt tolerance had no significant effect on improving salt tolerance of the rootstocks. Rootstock '53009' appeared more salt tolerant compared to '53004'. Reduction of dry shoot weight and leaf area under salinity stress may be alleviated by grafting.
Growing grafted melons is a relative new agro-technology used to overcome damages caused by soil borne diseases and also for cultivation of this crop using waste and saline water. Thus dealing with limited sources of fresh water. The overall purposes of this study is to gather information on the performance of grafted melons inorder to establish growing protocols optimizing this new agro-technology for the benefit of melon growers on Jordan, Israel and Egypt.
The results of this study were from a regional project between Jordan, Israel and Egypt. Solving problems associated with soil borne pathogens and limited sources of fresh water will not be limited to the life time of the project, as the basis for screening for resistance will be integral for future development of this crop. In addition, local decisions will have a major impact at the regional level mainly due to similar climatic and biological conditions in common to Jordan, Israel and Egypt. Therefore, mutual future decision making based on the results of this research project, at the agricultural level in the field will be immediately implemented by both countries.
