Exploitation of a Grafting Technique for Improving the Water Use Efficiency of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Grown in a Cold Greenhouse in Mediterranean Climatic Conditions

Grafting techniques have been intricately associated with the optimization of water use efficiency (WUE). In this study, various eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) rootstock-scion combinations were compared under three irrigation regimes (IR): 50% deficit in water volume (IR50), a doubling of irrigation volume (IR200), and normal watering (IR100). The cultivar Black Bell (Bb) was employed as a scion, while the rootstock adopted included the F1 hybrids Energy (En) and Beaufort (Be) and one accession of S. torvum (To). The trial encompassed the evaluation of no- and self-grafted plants. Plants grown in a cold greenhouse in Sicily were assessed for their morphological parameters, as well as their fruit production and quality. The leaf analysis encompassed the evaluation of chromatic parameters and water potential. Significant variation was observed for plant height, exhibiting the lowest values in self-grafted combinations. The leaf water potential varied significantly in relation to the rootstock-scion combination employed and to the irrigation regime. Fruit quality traits displayed significant variations for chromatic parameters L* and a*, as well as for the fruit's longitudinal and transversal diameters and the soluble solid content. The number of fruits and fruit production per plant varied significantly in relation to the rootstock-scion combination; the highest fruit production was recorded for Black Bell grafted onto S. torvum grown by IR50. The fruit weight displayed a significant interaction between the experimental factors under study. Notably, for the WUE calculated in relation to fruit production, a significant interaction between the experimental factors studied was ascertained. The highest WUE was registered for IR50, specifically for To/Bb. This research aims to develop a comprehensive water-efficient organic farming protocol for sustainable agriculture.