The invention provides methods for producing seeds in watermelon. In one embodiment methods are provided comprising grafting of a seed parent onto a stress tolerant rootstock, pollinating the seed parent with pollen from a pollen donor, and cultivating the seed parent until seed is formed. In specific embodiments, triploid seeds produced by a method of the invention are rendered conspicuously distinguishable from tetraploid seeds, and thus readily selected manually or by an automated machine. Methods for increasing seed yield and/or quality are also provided.

Provided is a novel plant body comprising a plant tissue of a plant belonging to the family Solanaceae, Brassicaceae, Lamiaceae, or Orobanchaceae, wherein graft incompatibility is avoided or suppressed by using a graft medium between different-family plants.

A seedling-cutting apparatus includes a pair of arms that is to nip a portion of a stem of a seedling for grafting and that can be opened and closed and a blade that is provided so as to be capable of reciprocating relative to the portion of the stem. At least one of the pair of arms includes a through hole or a cutout that penetrates a portion of the arms along a direction in which the blade reciprocates. At least a portion of the through hole or the cutout faces the portion of the stem and at least a portion of the blade moves through the through hole or the cutout.

The invention relates to the field of watermelon grafting. In particular, double grafted watermelon seedlings and plants are provided and methods for producing such double grafted seedlings and plants.

A grafting technique effective for crops such as soybean and plants of the Poaceae family including rice, wheat, corn, etc. and a method of grafting crops of the present invention comprising the steps of replacing a radicle of a dry dormant seed with a radicle of another dormant seed capable of achieving grafting, and thereafter, germinating the seed.

The present invention relates to a plant from the Capsicum family suitable for use as rootstock, capable of being obtained from the initial crossing of a Capsicum plant, preferably a C. annuum plant, with a Capsicum baccatum plant used as female parent, optionally followed by one or more additional crossing(s) with a Capsicum baccatum plant. Another subject of the present invention is a grafted plant constituted of a rootstock according to the invention and a graft. A further subject of the present invention is a seed, a cell or a part of a rootstock plant according to the invention. A final subject of the present invention is the use of a plant according to the invention as rootstock and a process for obtaining a grafted plant.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to materials and methods for plant grafting. In certain embodiments, the present disclosure provides materials and methods for efficient large scale grafting of potato rootstock with scion from the Solanaceae family. Certain embodiments involve grafting methods that significantly increase the yield of grafted plants produced. Given the commercial, nutritional, and horticultural advantages of grafted plants, embodiments of the present disclosure address the need for the development of improved methods for producing grafted plants and grafted plant products.

A grafted seedling producing apparatus 1 includes a seeding apparatus 2, a seedling raising apparatus 3 having a carriage 6 and a chamber 7, a grafting apparatus 4, and a plurality of nursery apparatuses 5. The seeding apparatus 2 creates seed-containing cultivation mediums each made up of a cultivated plant seed and a soil contained in a pot, arranges the mediums on a tray, and loads the tray into the carriage 6. The carriage 6 is housed in the chamber 7. The seedling raising apparatus 3 germinates the seeds and grows seedlings generated by the germination while applying light from LEDs. Since a worker does not have to enter the chamber 7, the seedling raising apparatus 3 becomes compact. The grafting apparatus 4 grafts a stock and a scion created by the seedling raising apparatus 3 to form a grafted seedling. The nursery apparatus 5 nurses the grafted seedling.

The present invention provides a plant grafting method using a plurality of rootstocks grafted together to one scion. A collar is positioned around at least one rootstock to limit a period of its contribution for growth and development of said plant. The grafting method benefits from simultaneous utilization of plurality of rootstocks with versatile growth control.