Vegetable grafting is increasingly adopted to stabilize tomato production under Mediterranean conditions, where water scarcity and soil-borne pressures limit crop performance. A factorial rootstock × scion trial was conducted during an organic cold greenhouse cycle in Sicily (2022–2023). Three experimental rootstocks (two interspecific and one intraspecific, developed within the H2020 BRESOV framework) were compared with the commercial rootstock Optifort, along with self-grafted and non-grafted controls. Three commercial F₁ scions (Barbarela, Cherry, Vittorio) were evaluated for vegetative growth, root traits, flowering dynamics, yield components, and fruit quality. Grafting generally enhanced plant vigor compared with self- and non-grafted plants, and significant rootstock × scion interactions were observed for several traits, indicating that performance depended on partner compatibility. Root biomass and yield varied widely among combinations, while fruit soluble solids ranged from 3.63 to 7.10 °Brix, with consistently higher values in Cherry and Vittorio scions. Multivariate analyses highlighted a predominant scion effect on fruit-related traits, whereas rootstocks mainly influenced vegetative growth and root system development. Tomato performance under Mediterranean organic greenhouse conditions strongly depends on rootstock–scion compatibility, confirming grafting as an effective strategy to improve yield stability and fruit quality in sustainable production systems.

Drought stress significantly affects plant growth, productivity, and yield by inducing morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes. This study evaluates exogenous melatonin effects on agronomic and biochemical traits of two broccoli varieties (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck) at the baby-leaves stage under drought stress. The varieties used were the Sicilian sprouting black broccoli, Broccolo nero (BR), and the commercial one, Cavolo Broccolo Ramoso Calabrese (CR). The experiment was conducted in a cold greenhouse in Catania, Sicily, considering two levels of melatonin (0 and 100 µmol L⁻¹) under two irrigation regimes: 100% and 60% of pot water capacity (I100 and I60). Plant weight, SPAD index, and leaf parameters were affected by the melatonin treatment, irrigation regime, and genotypes. Total glucosinolates were highest in BR under melatonin treatment (M1) at full irrigation (I100). Significant differences were observed for glucosinolates and phenolic profiles. Specifically, CR showed significantly higher glucoraphanin content compared to BR. CR, in response to the combined M1-I60 treatment, exhibited a marked increase in total phenolic content (TPC), reaching its highest level among the tested conditions. Similarly, antioxidant capacity, evaluated through ABTS and FRAP assays, showed a significant improvement in BR under combined treatments. Additionally, the caffeic acid hexose varies from 5.11 to 8.93% for control (M0) and melatonin application (M1). These findings highlight melatonin’s potential to mitigate drought stress effects in broccoli.

The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices for intensive horticultural production could determine less damage to the ecosystem is a fundamental nee