Grafting Eggplants

Many plants species can be grafted onto one another if they belonged to the same Family within the Taxonomical Classification. Interspecific grafting carries higher survival rate than the Intergeneric grafting due to higher phyto-immuno compatibility at graft union. This biological miracle allows human to utilise grafting as a mean to improve their crops performance.

The art of grafting plants was known to the Chinese since many centuries ago. But grafting in the Far East was done mostly on woody parennials. Not until the early 20th century that the Japanese attempted to extend this ancient botanical art to include the herbaceous plants. It was proven very successful for the past few decades. Japanese has been cultivating high quality crops under intensive cultivation without much hassle from the soil borne pathogens such as fungus, bacteria and nematodes. This art allows multiple successive croppings and extends the lifespan of many fruiting herbaceous vegetables. Gardeners and agriculturists can plant the crops once a year and be able to harvest continuously through the extended cropping season until the arrival of the first frost. Modern research shows that Grafted Fruiting Vegetables produced significantly much higher yields than ungrafted plants. It also reduces the use of pesticides and thus minimising its adverse effect on the environment and ecosystem. Organic gardening at home becomes more promising with the introduction of this more resistant plants that thrives on a naturally more robust root systems of their cousin within the same Taxonomic Family.

There are many methods employed in grafting plants. The method that carries the highest success rate is probably "Approach Grafting" where the root systems of both plants remain intact during the healing period. This has been observed in nature where tree branches of the same species growing in close proximity, when rubbed agaist each others woody bark until the underlying living tissues come into contact, the two branches may fused and grow together. Examples of approach grafting are inarch grafting and tongue grafting. "Detached Scion Grafting" has a lower success rate mainly due to dehydration during the early healing period. It was practiced by ancient Romans where a piece of the desired plant tissue is removed and inserted into a cut in the rootstock to join and match precisely. Examples of detached scion grafting are wedge grafting, tube grafting, pin grafting, veneer grafting and bud grafting.

Eggplants can be grafted readily on the Nightshade rootstocks. This allows the eggplant to thrive on a more robust root system and prevent it from the soil borne diseases. In cold temperate climate, Hybrid Tomato produced by crossing domestic tomato with wild tomato is used as a rootstock. However this Hybrid Tomato rootstock is not suitable in tropical climate because this rootstock loss its resistant to soilborne diseases when the temperature is high. In the tropical climate, the more heat tolerant rootstock is selected, namely the wild guinea squash. Grafted plant grows far much taller and produces more fruits than ungrafted plant. The folowing picture shows my grafted eggplants growing in warm tropical climate. It is 8 feet tall in a 2 gallons terracotta pot.




My 8 feet GRAFTED brinjal tree in a 2 gallons terracotta pot. It grows vigourously and continues to grow taller. The fruits are formed abundantly as it grows. Many has been harvested and eaten. Taste deicious.