Assessing the Survival and Growth Performance of Iranian Melon to Grafting onto Cucurbita Rootstocks

'Khatooni' melon was grafted onto three Cucurbita rootstocks including interspecific hybrids to examine scion-rootstock compatibility and to correlate plant performance under greenhouse conditions. Commercial cultivars, 'ShintoHongto', 'Ace', and 'Shintozwa', were used as rootstock and non-grafted plants used as controls. Root activity, stern length, rootstock hypocotyl diameter, scion hypocotyl diameter, leaf number, chlorophyll content, leaf area, length and width of leaf, fresh and dry weight of top organs and roots were recorded 30 and 60 days after grafting. The rootstocks showed high compatibility of up to 97% with scions. The rootstocks except 'Shintozwa' had more vascular bundles than scion plants. Vegetative growth of the grafted melon plants varied markedly, indicating differences in compatibility between the scion and rootstocks. Significant differences in vegetative growth were found in melons grafted onto rootstocks and trained with different training methods and T1 treatment (non-pinched) had higher values. In the grafted melon, root activity was the highest in the 'Shintozwa' rootstock. Grafted melon plants trained with T1 treatment in the second measuring time showed higher root activity than other training methods plants. Among the grafted seedlings, all the rootstocks exhibited similar effects. According to the results, practical use of the tested rootstocks call be advisable for Iranian melon.