We are thrilled to announce that Jason Hollick, a PhD candidate in Kubota Lab, has successfully defended his PhD dissertation.

Jason’s dissertation, titled “Whole plant physiology of grafted tomato and watermelon for optimized nutrient management” focuses on improving the understanding of how scion and rootstock interactions influence plant vigor and nutrient uptake in tomatoes, as well as how rootstock and nutrient management strategies affect reproductive development in watermelons.

Specifically, Jason’s research demonstrated that while tomato scion cultivar significantly impacts root mass, rootstock does not, emphasizing the need for further investigation into shoot-root signaling mechanisms. In grafted watermelon, he found that under specific environmental conditions, grafting onto squash and wild watermelon rootstocks can delay flower production and/or fruit set, regardless of the nutrient management strategy employed. Field trial results also suggest that grafting may enhance yield potential, particularly with an extended harvest season.

Jason’s work contributes valuable insights into the vegetative and reproductive development of grafted tomato and watermelon plants. Congratulations, Dr. Jason Hollick, on this outstanding achievement!