2026-04-01 FOOD CHEMISTRY 2026 507(卷), null(期), (null页)
In commercial watermelon production, grafting enhances stress resistance, increases yield, and improves fruit quality, but genotypes of rootstocks limit broader adoption. This study evaluated the effects of six rootstock grafting treatments (A1: 'Taiwan Known You', A2: 'Xizhen No. 1', A3: 'Golden mama 168', A4: 'Gold partner', A5: 'Snow vine No. 2', A6: 'Strong green snow') and self-rooted cultivation (CK) on 'Jinhua No. 1' watermelon on fruit appearance, texture, flavor, and nutritional attributes. A5 treatment improved fruit appearance, texture and characteristic aroma more than other treatments. Compared with CK, A5 treatment also significantly increased the content of fructose, glucose, malic acid, ascorbic acid, alpha-carotene and lutein in the fruit, with increases of 4.34%, 3.01%, 6.05%, 11.11%, 23.46% and 8.27% respectively. Furthermore, A5 treatment enhanced the expression of organic acid biosynthesis and carotenoid metabolic pathways gene. These findings offer valuable theoretical insights into rootstock-scion interactions and aid in selecting superior rootstocks to enhance watermelon quality.