Abstract Greenhouse cucumber production faces significant constraints due to infestations of Meloidogyne incognita. Grafting onto nematode-resistant rootstocks represents an effective strategy for nematode control. To evaluate the nematode resistance potential of pumpkin rootstocks, we developed pumpkin-grafted cucumber plants (PGC) by grafting onto a pumpkin rootstock. Comprehensive evaluation through in vivo nematode assays, reactive oxygen species (ROS) quantification, chemotaxis tests, qPCR analysis, and field trials revealed that PGC reduced root galls by 83.8% (P P Pr1) expression increasing 5.3-fold, callose synthase (Cals) 4.8-fold, and lipoxygenase (Lox1) 3.7-fold, while ethylene signaling modulator constitutive triple response 1(Ctr1) was downregulated. Chemotaxis assays showed 45.2% higher nematode repellence (P < 0.01). Field trials demonstrated 56.9% disease control efficacy and 31.8% yield increase. These results indicate multi-layered resistance through callose deposition, ROS burst, coordinated SA/JA/ET signaling, and chemoreception disruption, providing the first evidence of nematode resistance in pumpkin rootstocks.
Huo et al. (Tue,) studied this question.