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.研究假设 本研究提出如下假设：针对番茄植株开展基因型特异性嫁接（包括种间嫁接与自嫁接），可在盐渍灌溉条件下提升植株的生理抗逆性、离子稳态、抗氧化活性与果实产量。具体而言，相较于自嫁接植株与未嫁接植株，以商业化砧木Maxifort为砧木的嫁接组合预期可表现出更优异的耐盐性。 处理方式与生长条件 本数据集包含一项受控屋顶实验的详细测定数据，该实验设置3种嫁接处理：Maxifort砧木嫁接（GM）、Pimp砧木嫁接（GP）、自嫁接Areenez（GA），以及未嫁接对照组（GN）。设置3个盐胁迫梯度：SI0（对照组）、SI5（5 dS·m⁻¹）、SI10（10 dS·m⁻¹）。实验植株种植于沙特阿拉伯阿卜杜勒阿齐兹国王大学的屋顶网室中，环境条件受控。嫁接采用插接法完成，随后进行愈伤处理与定植。盐胁迫处理通过人工施加氯化钠溶液完成。测定方法采用论文中引用的标准操作规程，包括分光光度法、火焰光度法与酶活性测定法。 数据集涵盖指标 形态性状：株高、叶面积、根长、生物量。 生理指标：膜稳定性指数（MSI）、相对含水量（RWC）、植株耐受指数（PTI）。 离子浓度：钠离子（Na⁺）、钾离子（K⁺）、钙离子（Ca²⁺）以及K⁺/Na⁺比值。 生化性状：碳水化合物、蛋白质、氨基酸、脯氨酸、丙二醛（MDA）。 抗氧化酶活性：超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶（APX）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）、过氧化物酶（POD）、多酚氧化酶（PPO）。 花果性状：开花期、坐果数、果实大小、果实硬度、产量与品质参数。 核心研究结果 以Maxifort为砧木的嫁接植株在高盐胁迫（SI10）条件下表现显著更优，果实产量较未嫁接植株提升27.93%。其叶绿素保留能力与抗氧化活性均得到改善，钠离子吸收量更低、K⁺/Na⁺比值更高，酶促与非酶促抗氧化防御系统功能增强，开花更早且果实形态更优。自嫁接Areenez组合表现出中等程度的抗逆性，提示其具备低成本本土化适配潜力。 数据集解读与应用 本数据集的每一行对应一组特定的嫁接×盐胁迫处理组合，各列代表重复测定的量化性状。 该数据集可用于： 1. 比较不同基因型对盐胁迫的响应； 2. 筛选适用于干旱区番茄栽培的优质砧木组合； 3. 为非生物胁迫下嫁接效应的生理建模或元分析提供支撑。 研究人员可利用本数据集探索耐盐机制，在其他作物或气候条件下验证相关结论，并为可持续园艺的育种与嫁接策略提供参考。