Genomics and Applied Biology 2026, Vol.17, No.5, 326-339 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/gab 338 strengthened further when grafting is combined with complementary approaches such as arbuscular mycorrhiza, microbial biostimulants, or vermicompost, which improved nitrogen use efficiency, fruit nutritional quality, and drought resilience in integrated systems. Future progress in eggplant grafting depends on moving from empirical rootstock choice to more predictive selection based on compatibility, anatomy, stress tolerance, and target production environment. Current evidence shows that rootstock performance is not universal, and some highly vigorous combinations can cause low compatibility or vegetative imbalance, making it essential to match rootstock and scion more precisely. Root anatomical traits such as xylem width, cortex cell number, and root volume also correlate with later yield, so these characteristics can serve as useful criteria in future breeding and screening programs. A second priority is deeper mechanistic and technological development. Omics studies show that grafting responses in eggplant involve transcriptomic, metabolomic, and epigenetic reprogramming linked to fruit quality and vigor, while nursery engineering studies indicate that automation can raise grafting efficiency and standardize seedling quality at commercial scale. Overall, the most promising application prospect is an integrated grafting system that combines improved rootstock breeding, precision nursery methods, and stress-adapted crop management to support sustainable eggplant production under increasingly constrained environmental conditions. Acknowledgments I extend my sincere gratitude to the anonymous reviewers for their valuable and insightful comments, which have greatly strengthened this paper. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The author affirms that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. References Argento S., Treccarichi S., Arena D., Rizzo G.F., and Branca F., 2023, Exploitation of a grafting technique for improving the water use efficiency of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) grown in a cold greenhouse in Mediterranean climatic conditions, Agronomy, 13(11): 2705. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13112705 Awazade A.S., and Verma D., 2024, Advancing vegetable grafting: a comprehensive review of techniques, challenges, and the future of automated solutions, Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, 30(11): 517-530. https://doi.org/10.9734/jsrr/2024/v30i112580 Consentino B.B., Rouphael Y., Ntatsi G., De Pasquale C., Iapichino G., D’Anna F., La Bella S., and Sabatino L., 2022, Agronomic performance and fruit quality in greenhouse grown eggplant are interactively modulated by iodine dosage and grafting, Scientia Horticulturae, 295: 110891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2022.110891 Du G., Zhu D., He H., Li X., Yang Y., and Qi Z., 2024, The impact of grafting with different rootstocks on eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) growth and its rhizosphere soil microecology, Agronomy, 14(11): 2616. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14112616 Habibi F., Liu T., Folta K., and Sarkhosh A., 2022, Physiological, biochemical, and molecular aspects of grafting in fruit trees, Horticulture Research, 9: uhac032. https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhac032 Kappel N., Palla B., Challa L., and Mozafarian M., 2024, Rootstock and scion anatomical parameters in grafted eggplant seedlings, influencing growth and fruit production, BMC Plant Biology, 24(1): 1207. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-024-05926-4 Khapte P.S., Chavan L.S., Changan S.S., Wakchaure G.C., Patil R.A., Yadav L.P., Singh T.H., and Reddy K.S., 2025, Synergistic potential of deficit irrigation and grafted eggplant on wild rootstocks for enhanced growth, yield, and water productivity, Applied Water Science, 15(10): 249. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-025-02504-3 Kıran S., Demir Z., Boyacı H.F., Aydınşakir K., Kuşvuran Ş., Zengin S., and Ellialtıoğlu Ş.Ş., 2026, Integrating grafting and vermicompost for the sustainable management of drought in eggplant cultivation, Scientific Reports, 16(1): 8911. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-37509-8 Liu Z., Zhou W., Wang F., Li J., Jiang L., Wang G., and Zhang C., 2025, Advanced design and performance evaluation of an automatic synchronized grafting machine for solanum vulgare, Processes, 13(1): 131. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13010131 Mauro R.P., Stazi S.R., Distefano M., Giuffrida F., Marabottini R., Sabatino L., Allevato E., Cannata C., Basile F., and Leonardi C., 2022, Yield and compositional profile of eggplant fruits as affected by phosphorus supply, genotype and grafting, Horticulturae, 8(4): 304. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8040304
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