In Ohio, full-time study of grafted vegetable plants as products (i.e., sources of income) and production tools began more than ten years ago. Much has been learned and the popularity of grafted plants continues to trend upward. However, growers and researchers continue to ask many large, detailed, and tough questions about the roles of grafted plants in commercial production going forward. “Do grafted plants pay?” may be the most often asked and significant question. This brief article cannot address that question definitively for all readers due to the specific circumstances of each farm, field, crop, planting, season, etc. However, peoples’ collective understanding of the pros and cons of using grafted plants and of conditions leading to a good return on investment after using them is improving. As it does, success with grafted plants improves and their use increases. Regardless, additional research is needed. The three panels below briefly summarize a portion of the vegetable grafting research underway in Ohio in 2019. Please contact us if you would like to learn more about this work and stay tuned to VegNet and other outlets for updates.
Matt Kleinhenz, ph. 330.263.3810, email kleinhenz.1@osu.edu
I would like to stay informed on the grafted tomato plants. We plant about 100 each year in our hoop house in Ohio and would like to see if it is really worth it or not. Any information from you would be helpful or if we can take a tour of your facility sometime to see the beginning of grafted tomato plants. Thanks,
Hello, Kenny. Thanks for writing.
Yes, please visit OARDC and with my team and me anytime. We would be glad to chat in person, demonstrate techniques, etc. Email or call me to set a schedule.
Determining if using grafted plants is “really worth it” requires information (e.g., presence of soilborne disease inoculum, market, preferred varieties, production system, etc). Overall, high tunnel (tomato) growers have been among the first to use grafted plants in quantity (some use only grafted plants). Teams continue to study economic impacts as a result of using grafted plants. Reports on that and other topics are available at http://www.vegetablegrafting.org/resources/reference-database/ … let me know if you cannot access an article that interests you.
We’ll update as the research progresses.
Matt