Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Good Health & Well-being (SDG 3)
Yield responses of grafted watermelons to drought stress
Metseyabeng Nkane, Goitseone Malambane * Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Private Bag 0027 Gaborone Botswana E-mail: gmalambane@buan.ac.bw Climate change is a growing threat to global food security, with rising temperatures and reduced rainfall contributing to severe droughts. One crop particularly vulnerable to these changes is watermelon, a nutritious fruit rich in vitamins and antioxidants, but highly sensitive to water scarcity. Watermelons require substantial water for growth, and insufficient water during the early stages slows plant development, resulting in reduced yields. To address this, innovative solutions are needed to mitigate drought stress and ensure sustainable food production. One such solution is grafting, where sensitive watermelon plants are grafted onto drought-tolerant rootstocks. This study aimed to assess the effect of grafting on watermelon yield and other related parameters. Susceptible cultivated watermelon (Crimson Sweet) was grafted onto wild watermelon and cooking watermelon varieties using one cotyledon technique. Results showed that grafted watermelons flowered, matured earlier and produced larger fruits, with an average weight of 6.41 kg compared to 3.06 kg for non-grafted plants. Additionally, grafting did not significantly affect the total soluble solids content. This research highlights a potential method to sustain watermelon production under drought conditions, directly supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Zero Hunger and Good Health and Well-being. Key words: Climate Change, Drought Stress, Grafting. References 1. Atukunda, P., Eide, W. B., Kardel, K. R., Iversen, P. O., & Westerberg, A. C. (2021). Unlocking the potential for achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2–‘Zero Hunger’–in Africa: targets, strategies, synergies and challenges. Food & nutrition research , 65. 2. Devi, P., Lukas, S., & Miles, C. A. (2020). Fruit Maturity and Quality of Splice-grafted and One-cotyledon Grafted Watermelon. HORTSCIENCE , 55(7), 1090-1098. 3. Duchenne-Moutien, R. A., & Neetoo, H. (2021). Climate change and emerging food safety issues: a review. Journal of food protection , 84(11), 1884-1897. 4. Maoto, M. M., Beswa, D., & Jideani, A. I. (2019). Watermelon as a potential fruit snack. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD PROPERTIES , 22(1), 355-370. 5. Narayanankutty, C., Kumbar, S., & Peter, K. V. (2019). Innovations in Growing Vegetables under Stress. International Journal of Innovative Horticulture , 8(1), 22-34. 6. Rouphael, Y., Venema, J. H., Edelstein, M., Savvas, D., Colla, G., Ntatsi, G., ... & Schwarz, D. (2017). Grafting as a tool for tolerance of abiotic stress. In Vegetable grafting: principles and practices (pp. 171-215). Wallingford UK: CABI. 7. Shrefler, J., Brandenberger, L., Rebek, E., Damicone, J., & Taylor, M. (2015). Watermelon production. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma, United States of America, Fact Sheets, HLA-6236. Available online at (http://osufacts. okstate. edu).
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