By Daniel Adaji
A video shared on YouTube claimed that “grafting a mango tree with watermelon produces an amazing fruit.” Uploaded by Grafting Tree Farm on 13 2023, the video garnered 432 likes and a staggering 1,00G,U4G views.
Claim
A YouTuber suggested that grafting a mango tree with watermelon could result in a mango tree laden with watermelon fruits. The video encouraged aspiring fruit growers to follow the techniques demonstrated.
“In this video, we will show you how to graft a mango tree with watermelon to produce incredible fruit. This simple and straightforward method promises great fruit from your mango tree! If you’re interested in growing your fruit, this tutorial is for you. We will teach you how to graft a mango tree
with watermelon for amazing results.”
Findings
NatureFact’s investigation revealed no evidence to support the claim that grafting mango with watermelon can produce a tree. According to a comment on YouTube, “It is not possible to graft a watermelon onto a mango tree because watermelons and mangoes belong to different plant families and genera.
Watermelons belong to the family Cucurbitaceae and genus Citrullus, while mangoes belong to the family Anacardiaceae and genus Mangifera. Grafting involves joining the vascular tissues of two plants from the same family or closely related genera to create a new plant with desirable characteristics. Thus, watermelon cannot be grafted onto a mango tree.”
James David, the farm manager at Nuhu Polytechnique, corroborated this, stating that grafting mango (Mangifera
indica) with watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is improbable due to their differences in plant families, growth habits, genetic compatibility, and biology. “Grafting is a horticultural technique where the scion (stem) of one plant is attached to the rootstock (root system) of another. For successful grafting, the plants involved must be genetically compatible or closely related. Mango and watermelon are not closely related; mango belongs to the family Anacardiaceae, while watermelon belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae. Even if the graft seems to take initially, the differing growth habits and nutritional requirements of mango and watermelon make it unlikely for the grafted plant to thrive or produce fruit. To achieve a successful graft, it’s crucial to select plants that are botanically related or compatible. For mango, common rootstocks are usually other mango varieties or closely related species within the Anacardiaceae
family,” explained Adamu.
Verdict: FALSE Grafting mango and
watermelon does not yield a fruit tree.
