Success StoryTomato Grafting Research
Tomato Grafting Research
Author: Robert Kirby
Planning Unit: Knox County CES
Major Program: Commercial Horticulture
Plan of Work: Home and Commercial Horticulture
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
With most of the high tunnels in Knox County being NRCS grant funded, certain stipulations are agreed upon by producers when receiving the grant. One of the stipulations is that producers will agree to grow produce in the ground of the high tunnel for a minimum of four years. Almost all producers in the county have selected tomatoes as their primary crop because of the profit potential but have struggled growing in the ground the second and third years because of nematodes. To address the problem research is being conducted by Dr. Rachel Rudolph and Knox County Agriculture and Natural Resource Extension Agent, Wayne Kirby. The trial is in its second year and consists of different varieties of root stock grafted on tomato variety of choice. Data is collected on pounds harvested on each root stock to calculate the root stock's resistance to the nematodes. The goal of this research is to identify the rootstock the most resistance so producers in Knox County and across the state can graft tomato plants and grow in the ground for a longer profitable time.
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