Grafting Tomato and Pepper

Grafting 

Scion on Rootstock

• Tomato on Tomato
• Pepper on Pepper
• Pepper on Tomato
• Tomato on potato

HOW!!!!!!

http://youtu.be/tHnOYcI6B44

Grafting Tomato

Grafting is combining the tissues of one plant with another so the two join together. Typically, one plant is selected for its roots (called a rootstock) due to soil-pathogen resistance, temperature tolerance, and high fruit-yield, while the other plant is selected for its stems, flowers, or fruits (called a scion), selected for its desired genes, i.e. pretty flowers, or a particular fruit.

In order to the successful, the tissues of both stock and scion plants must remain in continuous contact, and stay alive until the tissues fuse (usually a period of weeks). These joints formed by grafting are generally not as strong as those naturally formed because only newly formed tissues fuse with each other. 

Grafting has a number of advantages, such as: (1) inducing fruitfulness; (2) dwarfing plants; (3) increasing hardiness; (4) promoting repair; and even (5) creating natural furniture--read onto tree shaping below.

Same Species Grafts

Tomato grafting is perhaps the most utilized in the world throughout farms and greenhouses. Rootstock is selected for its ability to resist soilborne pathogens, tolerance to temperature shifts, drought, salinity, and ability to increase fruit yield. Different scions on placed on top of the selected rootstock to produce that particular type of fruit.

Inter Species Grafts

Inter-species grafts are more rare, creating a single organism based off two distinct genetic tissue. These chimera plants function similar as same-species grafts, where the resistant rootstock benefits the scion plant. For instance, Pepper scions have been successfully grafted onto tomato rootstocks, in an article that appeared in the Journal of Young Investigators.

Peppers on Tomatoes Graft, Pepper-matoes? Image from JYI.

Certain chimera grafts have resulted in more. For instance, a tomato scion has been successfully grafted onto potato plants, allowing farmers to cultivate both at the same time, tomatoes above ground, and potatoes below. Can you say Pomato?

Tomato & Potato Graft, image courtesy of MyVietnamNews