Grafting watermelon scions onto resistant cucurbit rootstocks is becoming a popular alternative to soil fumigation for managing soil-borne diseases. While bottle gourd and hybrid squash are effective in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, they are not suitable for the southern U.S. due to susceptibility to root-knot nematodes (RKN). Field tests in Charleston, SC, identified wild watermelon rootstocks resistant to RKN, with promising results for use as grafted rootstocks, enhancing yield and disease resistance.
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