Rootstock is relevant, but storage temperatures are more important in eggplant postharvest quality

In addition to mitigating biotic and abiotic stress, grafting may influence the fruit quality?and postharvest quality of eggplants. Few studies have been published on the influence of grafting?on the postharvest performance of eggplant fruit. The current work examined the postharvest?behavior of grafted and non-grafted eggplant cv. Madonna at 0 and 10 ?C storage. Rootstocks?include Solanum grandiflorum ? Solanum melongena (SH), Solanum torvum (ST), Solanum melongena?? Solanum integrifolium (SI), Solanum integrifolium (A), and Solanum lycopersicum cv. Optifort (O) and?Emperador (E). The values for soluble solids, L*, and b* of pulp declined throughout storage. The pH?of the fruit pulp decreased during storage at 10 ?C. The lowest firmness was observed in fruit grafted?onto E and O. The oxidation potential (OP) value decreased for fruit harvested from the O rootstock. At 0 ?C, the oxidation potential (OP) value increased in fruit harvested from the A rootstock. Fruit firmness reduction at the end of storage in fruit grafted onto SH was less than in the other rootstocks and control plants. Overall, we found that the storage temperature had a more significant effect than the applied rootstock on the studied parameters of the eggplant fruits. ? The figure is nr. 2 of the original paper, showing the effect of different rootstocks on oxidation potential of eggplant cv. Madonna after harvesting.SR = self-root; ST = S. torvum; SI = S. melongena ? S. integrifolium; SH = S. grandiflorum ? S. melongena;O = Optifort; E = Emperador; A = S. integrifolium. SourceEffects of Different Rootstocks and Storage Temperatures on?Postharvest Quality of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L. cv. Madonna) No?mi Kappel and Maryam MozafarianHorticulturaeHorticulturae 2022, 8, 862. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8100862 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/horticulturae