Physiological Responses and Grafting Success of In Vitro-Micrografted Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) onto Squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) Rootstocks.

• Shakhawan Mohammed Ahmed1 ALI MOHAMMED NOORI2

  Author

Soilborne fungal diseases pose a significant constraint to cantaloupe (Cucumis melo var. ananas) production. Grafting onto resistant rootstock, such as squash (Cucurbita pepo L.), offers an effective biological alternative to chemical control. This study integrates plant tissue culture with micrografting techniques to establish a protocol for producing grafted cantaloupe plants. Shoot tips of cantaloupe were surface-sterilized and multiplied on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various concentrations of benzyladenine (BA) and kinetin (Kin). Micrografts were then performed using in vitro-derived cantaloupe shoots as scions and greenhouse-grown squash seedlings as rootstocks via hole insertion, splice/tube, and cleft grafting methods. Following a dark incubation period for wound healing, grafted plants were acclimatized under high humidity. The experiment was arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), with data analyzed by ANOVA and means compared using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (p ≤ 0.05).

This integrated approach aims to combine the pathogen-free advantage of tissue culture with the stress tolerance conferred by squash rootstock, offering a sustainable strategy for improving cantaloupe productivity.

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