Though it probably can be done, sourcing enough cheap seed to grow root stock might be a bit hard.

I can't imagine anyone has done any okra grafting commercially given it's low value and how thickly it's planted in stands. It would be a lot of work and require a good bit of space to establish the rootstock + seedlings + aftercare of the grafts.

I imagine it's been done in research to test various disease and chemical/nutrient tolerances, though.

If RKN is your problem then rather than the complex and expensive attempt at grafting okra, it would be easier and much less expensive to just fix the RKN problem itself.

Dave

I'm buying stock in okra. I saw in my grocery store they're selling the okra crisp veggie snacks for $15/lb. : )

I know it's not commercially viable.. makes much more sense to fumigate. I was wondering if it had been done at the level of the home gardener, though.

As for solving the RKN problem, that's a lot easier said than done for the home gardener, who can't fumigate. The various control options make sense for things like tomatoes, peppers, etc... but for okra, the tolerance level is just incredibly low. I can still get a usable crop, but nothing even close to what I can get in areas that aren't RKN infested. I also like to grow okra in my front yard as an edible ornamental, which precludes some of cultural controls for RKN.

Since I only grow 4 or 5 plants a year, grafting wouldn't be impractical.

I'll post back here if it ends up working.

Update: ive since learned that scions and budwood must be, "physiologically mature", so when the scion "knows" its partial function (to receive nutrients, produce flowers and fruit) in the parent plant as a whole unit. When it is transplanted it tries to pick up where it left off, as the limb of a parent rootstock, that knows to produce flowers and fruit, that last part is imperative with larger plants, maybe not with tomatoes and softer stem grafts, but definitely with larger plants. My okra maintained health but was unlikely to produce, so im attempting again

Nice experiment. Pls keep us updated.