Fruit yield and quality of watermelon in relation to grafting

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus [Thunb.] Mansf, cv. Crimson Sweet) was grafted onto four rootstocks (Long gourd, Early Max, Max-2 and F-14 gourd). Grafting increased fruit size, resulting in higher yields than in the non-grafted control. Fruits from grafted plants had a thicker rind and slightly lower total soluble solids content than the fruit from non-grafted plants. However, it is considered that these differences in fruit characteristics do not constitute serious quality defects and therefore grafting of this crop is advantageous.