Vol. 6, Issue 2 (2018)
Mitigation of temperate fruit crop problems through use of rootstock
Author(s): Tsering Dolkar, Mansoor Ali, Aqleema Banoo, Divya Slathia, Lobzang Stanzen and Stanzin Lakdan
Abstract: The average productivity of temperate fruit crops in India is low as compared to developed countries. The main reasons for low productivity are old and senile orchards, low yielding varieties, poor canopy architecture, poor orchard management and inadequate technological up-gradation and adoption. Rootstocks play a crucial role in determining orchard efficiency in fruit crops. The role of rootstocks and its use in different fruit crops has significant impact on fruit crop production by influencing canopy architecture, nutritional uptake, flowering, yield and fruit quality (Rom and Carlson, 2007). Plants grown on seedling rootstock often tend to develop into large and vigorous architecture, making its management difficult compared to clonal rootstocks. Maintaining an optimal balance between vegetative and reproductive growth is an ongoing concern of research (Bhat et al., 2015). For instance, the apple rootstock M 9, M 27, etc induces larger fruit size and good quality fruits by better light interception and good aeration within the canopy than seedling rootstocks. Quince rootstocks also produce better fruit size and quality fruits of pears than seedling or Pyrus communis rootstocks (Sharma et al., 2009). In temperate fruits, rootstocks provide the principal method of controlling the excessive inherent vigour of the scion cultivar. The vigour of apple, pear, plum and sweet cherry trees can be controlled very effectively by choice of an appropriate rootstock.Rootstocks modify size and shape of the trees by shortening the internodal length, altering the angle of the branches, development of fruit crops and are capable of suppressing growth of the grafted variety, as compared to growth of that variety on its own roots (Webster, 2001). Rootstocks are an essential component in modern fruit production because of their capability of adapting a particular cultivar to diverse environmental conditions andcan also confront biotic and abiotic stresses such as soil pest and disease resistance, better anchorage, better tolerant to thermal stress and nutritional stress.Rootstocks can also reduce or extend the fruit maturation period, improve yield, fruit quality as well as increasing profitability (Kubota et al., 2008). They have the advantage of generating uniform orchards, easier to manage and more productive (Hartmann et al., 2002). Studies on understanding the mechanisms underlying these effects would help for future rootstock breeding and selection. A better understanding of endogenous growth substances, rootstock scion interactions, soil or climatic factors needed to be studied, which would aid more efficient selection and use of rootstocks in the future (Nimbolkar et al., 2016). Development of complex hybrids through hybridization to develop more versatile rootstocks to increase their usefulness and adaptation with respect to compatibility, size control, precocity, productivity and resistance to biotic and biotic factors and therefore more concerted efforts are required to research of temperate rootstocks will help to mitigate as well as exploit the beneficial effects and to overcome the problem facing by the temperate fruit crops.
Pages: 880-887 | 940 Views 168 Downloads
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How to cite this article:
Tsering Dolkar, Mansoor Ali, Aqleema Banoo, Divya Slathia, Lobzang Stanzen, Stanzin Lakdan. Mitigation of temperate fruit crop problems through use of rootstock. Int J Chem Stud 2018;6(2):880-887.
