Plant Gene and Trait 2025, Vol.16, No.4, 142-151 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/pgt 145 4.3 Influence on plant architecture and root-to-shoot ratio Dwarfing rootstocks can alter the structure of the entire plant. It enables more resources to be focused on the roots and prevents the above-ground parts from growing too fast (Anthony and Musacchi, 2021; Verma et al., 2024). In terms of manifestation, the volume of roots, branches and surface area have all increased, but the plant height, internodes and leaf area have all decreased. In this way, the ratio of roots to stems increases, which helps the plant survive under conditions with little fertilizer and water, and also facilitates dense planting management (Xie et al., 2023). Other studies have found that dwarfting rootstocks can affect the structure of stems, such as reducing cell wall synthesis and changing lignin and cellulose metabolism. As a result, the stems become shorter and their strength decreases (Zhou and Underhill, 2021; Gu et al., 2023). 5 Contribution to Cultivation System Stability 5.1 Consistency of vegetative growth across environments Dwarfing rootstocks can regulate the transportation of hormones, nutrients and water in plants. It helps tomatoes grow more consistently in various environments. Many experiments have found that tomatoes grafted with dwarfing or strong rootstocks perform very stably under high temperature, low temperature or drought conditions, and their yields are not prone to fluctuations. For instance, rootstocks such as ‘Maxifort’ and ‘KFS-16’ can significantly enhance plant growth and yield under high-temperature conditions (Hashem et al., 2024). In different planting environments (such as high tunnel, open field or different regions), the yield and fruit quantity of some grafting combinations (such as HM/MU, HM/ES) are very stable and less affected by environmental changes (Djidonou et al., 2020). Moreover, grafting can also extend the growth period of tomatoes, making them more vigorous in the later growth stage, which is suitable for situations that require long-term cultivation (Lee et al., 2020; Lee et al., 2022). 5.2 Resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors Dwarfing rootstocks can enhance the resistance of tomatoes. Whether it is biological stress (such as soil-borne diseases, nematodes) or abiotic stress (such as saline-alkali, drought or low temperature), the grafted tomatoes performed better, with higher yield and quality (Alqardaeai et al., 2024; Hashem et al., 2024). This is mainly attributed to the enhanced vitality of the rootstock roots, which have a stronger ability to absorb mineral nutrients and can also promote the accumulation of stress-related enzymes and antioxidant substances (Hayat et al., 2021; Fu et al., 2022). Some commercial rootstocks have strong resistance to more than seven common soil-borne diseases and can reduce the use of pesticides. In addition, grafting can also reduce the occurrence of physiological disorders such as blossom-end rot (Davis et al., 2024). 5.3 Reduction in lodging and improved plant manageability In terms of plant structure, dwarfing rootstocks also have advantages. It can make tomatoes grow less tall but stronger, with more developed roots and less prone to lodging (Gong et al., 2022c). The plants are of moderate height, which is conducive to dense planting and also convenient for field management by mechanical or manual means (Gong et al., 2022b). Meanwhile, after grafting, the plants are more compact, the fruit distribution is more even, and harvesting and pest and disease inspection are more convenient (Bayindir and Kandemir, 2022). 6 Impact on Tomato Yield and Fruit Quality 6.1 Yield performance under different planting densities In high-density planting, people often use dwarfing or low-vitality rootstocks to increase the yield per unit area. Many studies have found that as long as the right dwarfing rootstock is selected, the total yield and commercial fruit yield of tomatoes can be significantly increased, with the increase ranging from 30% to 119%. Sometimes, the yield-increasing effect is more obvious in high-temperature or arid weather (Lang et al., 2020; Jenkins et al., 2022). High-vitality rootstocks such as ‘Maxifort’, ‘DRO141TX’, and ‘Estamino’ can also increase the yield per plant and total yield when planted in greenhouses or high-density (Gong et al., 2022b; Ingram et al., 2022; Hashem et al., 2024). Some wild solanaceous plants can maintain good yield and water use efficiency when used as rootstocks under water shortage conditions (Tejada-Alvarado et al., 2022).
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