A New Method to Estimate Vegetable Seedling Vigor, Piloted with Tomato, for Use in Grafting and Other Contexts

The primary objective of this study was to test an improved method for estimating vegetable seedling vigor, which is important in grafting and other contexts. The study was also designed to test correlations between destructive and nondestructive measures of seedling growth and the effect of tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) rootstock and scion seedling vigor on graft success. Emergence and biomass accumulation and distribution of 18 tomato rootstock and five scion cultivars were monitored in the greenhouse through 18 days after sowing using seven destructive and nondestructive measures; growing conditions were also monitored. Plant and environmental data were used: 1) to develop cultivar growth curves, rank-sum values, and multicomponent seedling vigor values, and 2) to test correlations between percent canopy cover and other foliar measures. Also, seedlings representing all 90 rootstock–scion combinations and their associated seedling vigor values were cleft-grafted using accepted methods and grafted-plant survival was evaluated 2 weeks later. The experiment was conducted twice. Overall seedling vigor and its components differed significantly between runs of the experiment and among cultivars, although most cultivars had similar rankings (relative vigor) in both runs. Rank-sum and seedling vigor values ordered cultivars similarly. However, the range of cultivar seedling vigor values (3–11,504) greatly exceeded the range of rank-sum values (4–92). Correlations between destructive and nondestructive measures were significant. Graft success did not differ among cultivar combinations. We conclude that 1) the method to estimate seedling vigor described herein is useful in grafting and other contexts, including when discerning cultivar and other treatment effects, 2) nondestructive measures can substitute for some destructive ones, and 3) graft success in tomato is unrelated to rootstock and scion seedling vigor, provided proper grafting and healing techniques and commercial cultivars are used.