Vegetable grafting has become entrenched as a sustainable tool for addressing biotic and abiotic stresses of vegetable crops, including watermelon. The concerted action of scion–rootstock genotypes in shaping crop performance, fruit quality and postharvest behavior of watermelon is critical. In this respect, scions of different ploidy grafted on interspecific and gourd rootstocks were assessed. Yield traits were strongly influenced by rootstock, as opposed to fruit morphometric characteristics. Interspecific rootstock supported stable yield across seasons with a 20.5% increase over gourd, and induced thicker rind and higher pulp firmness by 30.1% over gourd, which constitute advantageous traits for shelf-life. Interspecific rootstock also increased lycopene content, which was further influenced by scion genotype irrespective of ploidy. Triploid cultivars attained higher firmness but lower sugars than diploid, which renders the former particularly prone to loss of sensory quality during postharvest depletion of sugars. Although total and reducing sugars decreased during storage, sucrose increased, which in conjunction with the postharvest accumulation of lycopene sheds new light on the postharvest physiology of watermelon. The marginal rootstock effect on sugars renders interspecific rootstock superior to gourd on account of higher yield, firmness and lycopene content. The present work constitutes a contribution toward understanding rootstock–scion relations and how they mediate crop performance, fruit quality and postharvest behavior of watermelon.

中文翻译：

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种间和葫芦砧木对二倍体和三倍体西瓜接穗的农作物性能，理化品质，生物活性成分和收获后性能的调节作用

蔬菜嫁接已成为解决诸如西瓜等蔬菜作物生物和非生物胁迫的可持续工具。接穗砧木基因型在塑造作物性能，果实品质和西瓜采后行为方面的协同作用至关重要。在这方面，评估了嫁接在种间和葫芦砧木上的不同倍性接穗。产量性状受砧木的强烈影响，与果实形态特征相反。种间砧木支持了整个季节的稳定产量，比葫芦增加了20.5％，并诱导了较厚的果皮和更高的果肉硬度（比葫芦高30.1％），这构成了货架期的有利特征。种间砧木还增加了番茄红素含量，这与接穗基因型无关，与倍性无关。与二倍体相比，三倍体品种获得了更高的硬度，但糖含量却更低，这使得前者特别容易在收获后的糖消耗期间降低感官质量。尽管在储存过程中总糖和还原糖减少了，但蔗糖却增加了，这与番茄红素的收获后积累相结合，为西瓜的收获后生理学提供了新的思路。由于较高的产量，硬度和番茄红素含量，对糖的边际砧木效应使种间砧木优于葫芦。目前的工作对理解砧木-接穗关系以及它们如何介导作物性能，果实品质和西瓜的采后行为做出了贡献。这使得前者在收获后的糖耗尽期间特别容易感觉质量下降。尽管在储存过程中总糖和还原糖减少了，但蔗糖却增加了，这与番茄红素的收获后积累相结合，为西瓜的收获后生理学提供了新的思路。由于更高的产量，硬度和番茄红素含量，对糖的边际砧木效应使种间砧木优于葫芦。目前的工作对理解砧木-接穗关系以及它们如何介导作物性能，果实品质和西瓜的采后行为做出了贡献。这使得前者在收获后的糖耗尽期间特别容易感觉质量下降。尽管在储存过程中总糖和还原糖减少了，但是蔗糖增加了，这与番茄红素的收获后积累结合在一起为西瓜的收获后生理学提供了新的思路。由于更高的产量，硬度和番茄红素含量，对糖的边际砧木效应使种间砧木优于葫芦。目前的工作对理解砧木-接穗关系以及它们如何介导作物性能，果实品质和西瓜的采后行为做出了贡献。番茄红素的采后积累为西瓜的采后生理提供了新的思路。由于更高的产量，硬度和番茄红素含量，对糖的边际砧木效应使种间砧木优于葫芦。目前的工作对理解砧木与接穗的关系以及它们如何介导作物性能，果实品质和西瓜的采后行为做出了贡献。番茄红素的采后积累为西瓜的采后生理提供了新的思路。由于更高的产量，硬度和番茄红素含量，对糖的边际砧木效应使种间砧木优于葫芦。目前的工作对理解砧木-接穗关系以及它们如何介导作物性能，果实品质和西瓜的采后行为做出了贡献。