Building a Better Plant: UConn Researcher Develops Improved Technology for Grafting UConn researcher Yi Li has invented a novel grafting technique that improves several factors important for healthy plant growth A citrus plant grafted using Li's technology (Contributed photo) Copy Link With all the trees, flowers, and other fauna around us, it may seem like plants spring up effortlessly. In reality, farmers often engage various intentional, technical methods to produce the best plants possible. One such strategy is known as grafting, where the bottom half of one plant, called the rootstock, is combined with the top half of another plant, known as the scion, to produce a stronger plant overall.