Grafting

[bobm]

Along with grafted fruit trees, Nurseries are now offering grafted vegetables including a wide selection of heirloom tomatoes (I know that tomatoes are a fruit) onto hardy but less desireable root stock. Grafting has been shown to produce disease/ pest resistant fruits and vegetables, increase yields up to 30-50% more without any decrease of flavor, as well as expand the growing zone of the selected plans. According to a 2013 The New York Times ... there is an environmental benefit as well. The greater root mass of these grafted plants draws more water and nutrients from the soil, so they needs less irrigation, fertilizing, and fumigation. Because they are resistant to many pests and diseases, less use of pesticides and soil fumigation translates to less depletion of the ozone layer,as well as less contamination of soil and water. German scientists Sandra Stegemann and Ralph Brock of the Max- Plank Institute did gene analysis of grafted plants in 2009 and found that cells at the point of fusion were swapping genes. These altered cells merge into the entire plant. This research shows that the 2 grafted plants are not genetically distinctive as previously thought , but are unintended genetic engineering. This shows that this discovery further blurs the boundary between natural sexual gene transfer and genetic engineering. If this is true of the plants from human intervention, then by definition all grafted plants are GMOs. Grafted fruit has been available for decades and readily consumed by one and all without any ill effects or outcry, and now grafted vegetables are well on their way to grocery stores, farmers' markets, and home gardens . And we all know that it doesn't take much for some people to freak out when it comes to their food.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It will be interesting to see if the grafted vegetables catch on commercially. Most commercial vegetables are pretty much “mass produced”. Someone skilled in grafting can be pretty quick but it still takes some human time. Is the extra production worthwhile?


Another thought. Many vegetables (like tomatoes) grow a lot of suckers. Grafted tree rootstocks will often give preference to the suckers as opposed to the grafted part so again it could require human time to prune.


This could prove interesting. My gut feel is that grafted veggies will become more of a Hobbyist novelty, like the trees with five different varieties of apples grafted on, than a commercial option but I've been wrong before.

 

[digitS']

I thought I had an idea of what you would be writing about Bob. Some things I didn't know. MAX PLANCK? Those guys are involved in all the cool stuff!!

Swapping genes? I didn't know that! Okay, it would not have surprised me if you'd have said that they were swapping cells. There is something called the "chimera effect" with transplanted organs. Cells from the organ move, relocate and are supported in other parts of the body. Body cells relocate into the transplanted organ. This is thought of as a good thing because it shows tolerance and encourages tolerance.

I am tempted to take up tomato plant grafting. Oh yeah! It looks simple with the plastic clips. What I wouldn't do for stong, healthy plants!

"Cloning" of cuttings works well enough for me. I have failed at grafting fruit trees but a less-than "accepting" environment may have been the only problem there.

Steve

 

[so lucky]

I'm wondering if the Max Planck scientists grew plants from the seeds of the grafted tomatoes, and if they did, did the second generation have the characteristics of both parents? Specifically, vigorous rootstock and disease resistant fruit?
This does sound like a rewarding "hobby." I'm going to have to brush up on my nonexistent grafting skills.

 

[digitS']

That's a good question and maybe Bob has more info. Those Max Planck guys - animal species . . . plants? Shoot.

" . . . cells at the point of fusion were swapping genes." That seems to suggest that they weren't traveling very far in the plants. I wonder if the several decades that an apple tree grows might not carry those genes to the tips of the branches and . . .

Wonderful world that we live in . . .

Steve

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

you have me wondering about that with the apple trees too! since i learned to graft apple trees last year i will have to keep up on those studies.

i guess i wouldn't really think of grafted fruit and trees as GMO's because they are grafted to their own species and not to something completely outside their genus. you're not grafting a tomato to an apple tree, or what most articles suggest has happened a tomato having cells and traits introduced from a fish!

 

[digitS']

Or, those apples with nice fresh fish . . !

Or, let's say contaminated air doesn't bother a catfish so the apples can be grown downwind from a pollution-spewing factory chimney.

Or, put the plant genes in a catfish so something that resembles fish filets can be grown in a polluted river. Or, sprayed with a growth hormone that gives it the flavor of bacon!

(Usually I stay out of these things but I think I haven't been getting enough daylight lately!)

Steve