Review highlights grafting's role in improving disease resistance and fruit quality in watermelon, indicating sustainable production benefits for cucurbit crops.
Grafting is an effective horticultural technique that significantly enhances disease resistance and stress tolerance in watermelon. This review systematically summarizes the types of rootstocks used in watermelon grafting and analyzes the effects of grafting on plant responses to biotic stresses, such as viral and fungal pathogens, root-knot nematodes infections, and abiotic stresses, including drought, temperature extremes, and salinity. Furthermore, it discusses the changes in fruit quality and explores the underlying mechanisms associated with graft-induced resistance. By synthesizing recent research advances, this review aims to offer valuable insights and practical references for improving resistance and promoting sustainable production in cucurbit and other vegetable crops through grafting. As a sustainable cultivation strategy, grafting demonstrates considerable potential for enhancing watermelon resilience and yield; however, optimizing fruit quality remains a critical focus for future research.
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Liu et al. (2025) studied this question.
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