Abstract
Grafting techniques are widely used in horticulture to increase growth and stress tolerance in vegetable crops, including in Solanum melongena L. This study presents an example of Hybrid-Grafting in brinjal under controlled as well as stressed conditions in greenhouse of Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research PCSIR, Lahore, Pakistan. The present investigation was carried out in the year of 2024-25, in completely randomized design (CRD). Reciprocal grafted combinations (P1 and P2), a combined heat and water deficit stress treatment (P3), and non-grafted controls (P4 and P5) were evaluated. Growth and yield parameters were recorded and analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) The grafted plants grew under limited input conditions and exhibited a high grafting success rate of 90%. The grafted plants demonstrated vigorous growth, high stress tolerance, and prolonged fruiting. Between grafted combinations, P1 showed superior growth and yield performance. Stress-treated grafts showed moderate reduction in yield but not at abrupt level, showed partial stress tolerance in grafted plants. Control plants showed lower growth and yield than grafted plants. A notable finding was the simultaneous production of white and purple fruits on the same grafted plant. This signified effective vascular integration accompanied by independent phenotypic expression. The wild rootstock enhanced the grafted plant's ability to withstand adverse conditions, and increased overall plant vigor and stress tolerance. These results indicated that intra-specific graft hybridization in brinjal is quite successful, may act as a sustainable, space-saving, and cost-efficient method for crop diversification and urban agriculture