This research was conducted with the objective of characterizing the physical and physical-chemical characteristics of tomato fruits from grafted plants as compared to those from own rooted seedlings. Cultivars Santa Clara, Santa Cruz Kada, and the hybrid Débora Plus were cleft grafted on to hybrid Hawaii 7996, resistant to bacterial wilting, as the rootstock. The experimental design was the completely randomized blocks, with six treatments (three grafted and three ungrafted), with five replications in the field. It were evaluated fruit weight, length and width, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, titratable total acidity (TTA), and the ratio TSS/TTA. Grafting did not affect the above characteristics. Except for pH of the two cultivars. Thus, the hybrid 'Hawaii 7996' can be used as commercial rootstock for cultivars 'Santa Clara'; 'Santa Cruz Kada' and the 'Débora Plus' hybrid, without affecting fruit quality.
Lycopersicon esculentum; Hawaii 7996; rootstock; bacterial wilt
