TY - GEN
T1 - Use of grafted seedlings for vegetable production in North America
AU - Kubota, C.
PY - 2008/1/1
Y1 - 2008/1/1
N2 - Grafting of vegetable seedlings is a unique Asian horticultural technology practiced commercially for many years to overcome issues associated with intensive cultivation using limited arable land. This technology was introduced in Europe in the late 20th century, along with improved grafting methods suitable for commercial production of grafted vegetable seedlings. Grafting was later introduced in North America from Europe and it is now attracting many growers in Canada, US, Mexico, and even beyond. Grafting onto specific rootstocks generally provides resistance to soil-borne diseases and nematodes. In addition to such traditional advantages, increased yield by using grafted seedlings has been attracting the interest of greenhouse hydroponic (soil-less culture) tomato growers. This increased yield is due to the rootstock acting as a superior conductor of water, providing more water and nutrients to the stems, leaves and fruits, mainly because of the better developed root system. Currently, an estimated 40 million grafted seedlings are being used in North American greenhouses. There are several issues identified that currently limit the further promotion of using grafted seedlings in North America. Some of these issues are: limited number of propagators and rootstock varieties, long distance transportation, high market price of seeds and grafted seedlings, and the relatively large amount of seedlings requiring processing at one time due to demand by large vegetable production operations. Introduction of more grafted seedlings to open-field vegetable production is rather slow, but is expected in the near future along with the development of technologies to resolve the above mentioned issues.
AB - Grafting of vegetable seedlings is a unique Asian horticultural technology practiced commercially for many years to overcome issues associated with intensive cultivation using limited arable land. This technology was introduced in Europe in the late 20th century, along with improved grafting methods suitable for commercial production of grafted vegetable seedlings. Grafting was later introduced in North America from Europe and it is now attracting many growers in Canada, US, Mexico, and even beyond. Grafting onto specific rootstocks generally provides resistance to soil-borne diseases and nematodes. In addition to such traditional advantages, increased yield by using grafted seedlings has been attracting the interest of greenhouse hydroponic (soil-less culture) tomato growers. This increased yield is due to the rootstock acting as a superior conductor of water, providing more water and nutrients to the stems, leaves and fruits, mainly because of the better developed root system. Currently, an estimated 40 million grafted seedlings are being used in North American greenhouses. There are several issues identified that currently limit the further promotion of using grafted seedlings in North America. Some of these issues are: limited number of propagators and rootstock varieties, long distance transportation, high market price of seeds and grafted seedlings, and the relatively large amount of seedlings requiring processing at one time due to demand by large vegetable production operations. Introduction of more grafted seedlings to open-field vegetable production is rather slow, but is expected in the near future along with the development of technologies to resolve the above mentioned issues.
KW - Automation
KW - Closed system
KW - Grafting robot
KW - Single-headed seedling
KW - Storage
KW - Transportation
KW - Two-headed seedling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=52449116240&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=52449116240&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.770.2
DO - 10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.770.2
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:52449116240
SN - 9789066054677
T3 - Acta Horticulturae
SP - 21
EP - 28
BT - Proceedings of the International Symposium on Cultivation and Utilization of Asian, Sub-Tropical, and Underutilized Horticultural Crops, IHC 2006
PB - International Society for Horticultural Science
T2 - International Symposium on Cultivation and Utilization of Asian, Sub-Tropical, and Underutilized Horticultural Crops, IHC 2006
Y2 - 13 August 2006 through 19 August 2006
ER -