Genotype-specific grafting of tomato under saline water irrigation: conferring physiological adaptation, ion homeostasis, antioxidant activity and yield

Research Hypothesis
This study hypothesized that genotype-specific grafting of tomato plants- including both interspecific and self-grafting- can enhance physiological resilience, ion homeostasis, antioxidant activity, and fruit yield under saline irrigation conditions. Specifically, grafting onto the commercial rootstock Maxifort was expected to confer superior salt tolerance compared to self-grafted and non-grafted plants.

Treatments and growth conditions
The dataset includes detailed measurements from a controlled rooftop experiment with three grafting treatments —Maxifort (GM), Pimp (GP), and self-grafted Areenez (GA) —and non-grafted controls (GN). Three salinity levels: SI0 (control), SI5 (5 dS m⁻¹), and SI10 (10 dS m⁻¹). Plants were grown in a rooftop net house under controlled conditions at King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. Grafting was performed using the splice technique, followed by healing and transplanting. Salinity treatments were applied manually using NaCl solutions. Measurements were taken using standard protocols cited in the manuscript, including spectrophotometry, flame photometry, and enzymatic assays.

The data covers
Morphological traits: plant height, leaf area, root length, biomass.
Physiological indicators: membrane stability index (MSI), relative water content (RWC), plant tolerance index (PTI).
Ion concentrations: Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and K⁺/Na⁺ ratio.
Biochemical traits: carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, proline, MDA.
Antioxidant enzyme activities: SOD, APX, CAT, POD, PPO.
Flower and fruit traits: flowering time, fruit count, size, firmness, yield, and quality parameters.

Key Findings
Maxifort grafted plants showed significantly better performance under high salinity (SI10), including 27.93% higher fruit yield compared to non-grafted plants. Improved chlorophyll retention and antioxidant activity. Lower Na⁺ uptake and higher K⁺/Na⁺ ratios. Enhanced enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defenses. Earlier flowering and better fruit morphology. Self-grafted Areenez showed moderate resilience, suggesting potential for cost-effective local adaptation.

Interpret and Use the Data
Each row in the dataset corresponds to a specific graft × salinity treatment combination. Columns represent quantitative traits measured across replicates.

The data can be used to:
1. Compare genotype-specific responses to salinity.
2. Identify promising rootstock combinations for arid-zone tomato cultivation.
3. Support physiological modeling or meta-analysis of grafting effects under abiotic stress.

Researchers can use this dataset to explore salt tolerance mechanisms, validate findings in other crops or climates, and inform breeding and grafting strategies for sustainable horticulture.