Rootstock influence – stock/scion

relationship in fruit crops

DR.D.KEISAR LOURDUSAMY
 Incompatibility
The inability of two different plant parts grafted or budded together, to produce a
successful union and to develop into a composite plant is termed as ‘graft
incompatibility’.

Graft incompatibility occurs because of following reasons:

 Adverse physiological responses between the grafting partners
 Virus or phytoplasma transmission
 Anatomical abnormalities of vascular tissue in the callus bridge.
Graft incompatibility is of two types

1) Localized (non-translocated) incompatibility and

2). Translocated incompatibility.

 Localized (non-translocated) incompatibility

• Graft combination in which a mutually compatible inter

stock overcomes the incompatibility of the scion and
rootstock.
• The inter stock prevents physical contact of the rootstock
and scion and affects the physiology of the normally
incompatible scion and rootstock.
• A good example is Bartlett pear on quince rootstock. When
mutually compatible Old Home or (Beurre Hardy) is used
as inter-stock the three graft combination is completely
compatible and satisfactorily tree growth takes place.
Translocated incompatibility
• certain graft/rootstock combination in which the insertion of a mutually compatible inter
stock does not overcome incompatibility.
• This can be recognized by the development of a brown line or necrotic area in the bark at
the rootstock interface.
• Consequently, carbohydrate movement from the scion to the rootstock is restricted at the
graft union.
• Hale’s Early peach grafted onto Myrobalan-B plum rootstock is an example of
translocated incompatibility.
• The tissues are distorted and a weak union forms. Abnormal quantities of starch
accumulate at the base of the peach scion. If the mutually compatible ‘Brompton’ plum is
used as inter stock between Hale’s Early peach and Myrobalan- B rootstock the
incompatibility systems persist, with an accumulation of starch in the Brompton inter-
stock.
 Delayed incompatibility

• Some apricot cultivars grafted onto

Myrobalan plum rootstock will not
break at the graft union until the
trees are full grown and bearing
crops.
• Graft incompatibility can take as
long as 20 years to occur. Other
examples are conifers, oaks and
cherry on pazza (Prunus cerasoides)
rootstocks.
Pathogen induced incompatibility

• These graft union failures resemble incompatibility

symptoms, but are due to pathogens like virus or
phytoplasma. Tristeza is an important example of virus
induced incompatibility in citrus. Failure of sweet orange
(Citrus sinensis) budded onto sour orange (Citrus
aurantium) rootstock is due to toxic substance from sweet
orange, but lethal to the sour orange rootstock.
• Black line in English walnut (Juglans regia), which infects
susceptible walnut rootstocks, apple union necrosis and
decline and brown line of prune, which is caused by tomato
mosaic virus that is transmitted by soil-borne nematodes to
the rootstocks and then to the graft union.
Causes and mechanism of incompatibility

A. Physiological and biochemical mechanism

• In case of incompatible combination of certain pear cultivars on quince rootstock, the
incompatibility is caused by a cyanogenic glucoside, prunasin, normally found in quince, but
not in pear tissues.
• Prunasin is translocated from the quince into the phloem of the pear. The pear tissues,
breakdown the prunasin in the region of the graft union, with hydrocyanic acid as one of the
decomposition products.
• The presence of the hydrocyanic acids leads to a lack of cambial activity at the graft union,
with pronounced anatomical disturbances in the phloem and xylem at the resulting union.
The phloem tissues are gradually destroyed at and above the graft union.
• Conduction of water and material is seriously reduced in both xylem and phloem. The
presence of cynogenic glucosides in woody plants is restricted to a relatively few genera.
Hence, this relation cannot be considered a universal cause of graft- incompatibility.
B. Modification of cells and tissue: The lignification process of cell in walls is
important in the formation of strong union in pear-quince grafts. Adjoining cell walls in
the graft union of incompatible combination contain no lignin and are interlocked only
by cellulose fibres. With incompatible apricot/plum (Prunus) grafts some callus
differentiation into cambium and vascular tissue does occur, however, a large portion of
the callus never differentiates. The union that occurs is mechanically weak.

C. Cellular recognition: “Cellular recognition is defined as the union of specific

cellular groups on the surface of the interacting cells that results in specific defined
response e.g. pollen-stigma compatibility recognition responses with glycoprotein
surface receptors in flowering plants.”
Predicting incompatible combination:
1) Electrophoresis test: This test is being used for testing cambial peroxidase banding pattern of
the scion and rootstock of chestnut, oak and maple. Peroxidases mediate lignin production.
Increased peroxidase activity occurs in incompatible grafts as compared to compatible auto grafts
and adjacent rootstock and scion cells must produce similar lignin and have identical peroxidase
enzyme pattern to ensure the development of a functional vascular system across the graft union.
With electrophoresis if the peroxidase bands match the combination may be compatible, if they
do not match incompatible may be predicted.

2) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Magnetic resonance imaging can be used to detect
vascular discontinuity in bud union of apple. High magnetic resonance imaging signal intensity is
associated with bound water in live tissue and the establishment of vascular continuity between
the rootstock and scion. Magnetic resonance imaging may be useful for detecting graft
incompatibility caused by poor vascular connection.
Correcting incompatible combination:
This is not a practical, cost-effective way to correct large scale planting of
incompatible grafting partners.
Plants would normally be rogued and discarded. With perhaps some isolated
specimen trees of value, if the incompatibility is discovered before the tree die or
break off at the union, a bridge graft could be done with a mutually compatible
rootstock.
Another costly alternative is to inarch with seedling of a compatible rootstock.
The inarched seedlings would eventfully become the main root system.
 Stock-Scion Relationship
A grafted or budded plant can produce unusual growth patterns which may be different from what would
have occurred if each component part of a graftage viz., rootstock and scion was grown separately or when
it is grafted or budded in other types of rootstocks.
Some of these have major horticultural value. This varying aspect of rootstocks will influence the
performance of a scion cultivar or vice versa is known as stock-scion relationship.
Rootstock
A rootstock is a stump, which already has an established, healthy root system, used for grafting a cutting
from another plant. The rootstock can be a different species from the scion, but they must be closely related.
Scion
The tree part being grafted onto the rootstock is usually called the scion.
The scion is the plant which has the properties desired by the propagator, and the rootstock is the working
part which interacts with the soil to nourish the new plant. After a few years, the tissues of the two parts will
have grown together, producing a single tree although genetically it will always remain two different plants.
A. Effect of stocks on scion cultivars

1. Size and growth habit:

In apple, rootstocks can be classified as dwarf, semi-dwarf, vigorous and very vigorous rootstocks based
on their effect on a scion cultivar.
• If a scion is grafted on dwarf rootstocks (e.g. M.9), the scion grows less vigorously and remain dwarf
only. On the other hand if the same scion is grafted on a very' vigorous rootstock (e.g. M25, MM111)
the scion grows very vigorously.
• In citrus, trifoliate orange is considered to be the most dwarfing rootstock for grape fruit and sweet
oranges. On the other hand, in mango, all plants of a given variety are known to have the same
characteristic canopy shape of variety despite the rootstocks being of seedling origin.
• But mango rootstocks like Kalapad, Olour have been found to impart dwarfness in the scion cultivars.
Guava cultivars grafted on Psidium pumilum are found to be dwarf in stature. ‘Pusa Srijan’ guava
rootstock also imparts dwarfness in Allahabad Safeda, a commercial cultivar of guava.
2. Precocity in flowering and fruiting:
• The time taken from planting to fruiting i.e., precocity is influenced by rootstocks. Generally
fruit precocity is associated with dwarfing rootstocks and slowness to fruiting with vigorous
rootstocks.
• Mandarin, when grafted on Citrus jambhiri rootstock is precocious than those grafted on sweet
orange or orange or acid lime rootstocks.
3. Fruit set and yield
• The rootstocks directly influence on the production of flower and setting fruits in oriental
Persimmon (Diospyrous kaki cv. Hachiya). When it is grafted on D. lotus, it produces more
flowers but only few mature into fruits. However, when D. kaki is used as the rootstock, the fruit
set is very high.
• The influence of rootstock on the yield performance of cultivar has been well documented in
many fruit crops. Acid limes budded on rough lemon register nearly 70 per cent increased yield
than those budded on troyer citrange, Rangpur lime or its own rootstock. Sweet orange var.
Sathugudi budded on Kichili rootstock (Citrus maderaspatana hort. ex Tanaka (CITRU_MAD) ) gave
higher yield than on Jambhiri or on its own seedling.
4. Fruit size and quality
Sathugudi sweet oranges grafted on Gajanimma rootstocks (Citrus pennivesiculata ) produced large
but poor quality fruits while on its own roots they produced fruits with high juice content and
quality.
• The physiological disorder 'granulation' in sweet orange is very low if on Cleopatra mandarin
seedlings, on the other hand, rough lemon seedling stocks induced maximum granulation.
• The physiological disorder black end in Bartlett Pear did not appear if Pyrus communis was used
as the rootstock. When Pyrus pyrifolia was used as the rootstock this disorder appeared,
affecting fruit quality.
5. Nutrient status of scion
Rootstocks do influence the nutrient status of scion also. Sathugudi orange trees have a better
nutrient status of all nutrients in the leaves when it is budded on C. volkarimariana root stock than
on its own rootstock or Cleopatra mandarin stocks.
6. Winter hardiness
Young grapefruit trees on Rangpur lime withstand winter injury better than on rough lemon
or sour orange. Sweet oranges and mandarins on trifoliate stocks were more cold hardy.
7. Disease resistance
In citrus, considerable variability exists among the rootstocks in their response to diseases
and nematodes. For instance, rough lemon rootstock is tolerant to tristeza, xyloporosis and
exocortis but is susceptible to gummosis and nematode. On the other hand, Troyer citrange is
tolerant to gummosis but susceptible to exocortis virus disease. Similarly, guava varieties
grafted on Chinese guava. (Psidium friedrichsthalianum) resist wilt diseases and nematodes.
8. Ability to resist soil adverse conditions

Among the citrus rootstocks, Trifoliate orange exhibits poor ability, while sweet
oranges, sour orange, rangpur lime rootstocks exhibit moderate ability to resist
excess salts in the soil.

Similarly, in pome fruits, variation exists among rootstocks to resist excess soil
moisture or excess boron in the soil. Myrobalan plum rootstocks generally tolerate
excess boron and moisture than Marianna plum root or other rootstocks' viz., peach,
apricot or almond.
Name of fruit Root stocks Distinguishing features
Almond Peach almond hybrids
GF- 577
GF- 667
Prunus nira, Bitter almond, Almond seedling
Apple M-9 Chance seedling, dwarf suited to high
density planting, wooly aphid resistant.
M-27 Ultra-dwarf, result of M13 x M9, suited for
high density plantings
MM-104 and MM – 106 Wooly aphid resistant Drought resistant
MM-111 & MM- 104
Northern spy Wooly apple aphid resistant
Malus sikkimiensis, Recurrent apomictic, Propagate true to
M. hupehensis type.
M. taringoides Tetraploid Vigorous Wooly aphid resistant
M. sergenti malling series.
M. baccata, Robusta
M- 16 and M-25
Merton - 778
Name Root stocks Distinguishing features
of fruit
Apricot Wild apricot Commonly used.
Avocado West Indian Avocado, Mexican
avocado
Bael Aegle fraeglegaboensis
Ber Zizyphus nummularia Dwarfing due to formation of
inverted bottle neck at graft union
Z. rotundifolia Deep rooted suited fior arid zones
Cherry Colt and Charger Dwarf
Wild cherry (P. puddum) Show delayed incompatibility
Paja (P. cerasoids) Mahalab (P. Produces vigrous trees
mehalab) Produces dwarf tree
Mazzard (P. avivum)
Name of Root stocks Distinguishing features
fruit
Citrus Rangpur lime Susceptible to foot rot, burrowing nematode and
exocortis; tolerant to tristeza, suitable for heavy and
deep soils.
Karna Khatta Suitable for heavy soils used in U.P. Incompatible with
kagzi lime and Malta blood red
Rough lemon Commonly used in Punjab, susceptible to blight and
tolerant to tristeza.
Trifoliate orange Cold hardy, resistant to Phytophthora, tristeza and
nematode; dwarfing and salt resistant suitable for
shallow and high rainfall areas; incompatible with lime,
lemon and mosambi.
Flying dragon Most dwarfing fortunella
Severinia bouxifolia Salt resistant
Soh sarkar Dwarfing for kinnow
 Name of Root stocks Distinguishing features
fruit
Feronia limonia Dwarfing but not commercial
Sour orange Cold hardy, suitable for sandy loam soil; susceptible to tristeza
Citranges Susceptible to citranges, tolerant to gummosis and tristeza.
Cleopatra mandarin Cold hardy, tolerant to tristeza and nematode.
Citrus unshiu Freeze tolerant
Custard Annona glabra Suitable for various soil conditions
apple (pond apple)
Fig Ficus glomerata Nematode resistant
Grape Salt creek and Dogridge, Salt and nematode resistant
Temple Multiple resistant/ pierce’s disease
St. George, Ripario, Phylloxera resistant
Gloria
Guava P. friedrichsthalianum Dwarfing and wilt resistant
P. friedrichsthalianum Wilt resistant Most dwarfing
var. lucidum
P. pumilum
 Name of Root stocks Distinguishing features
fruit
Jamun Syzigium fruticosum Termite resistant
Mango Kurrukan Salt resistant polyembryonic
Olour Vigourous root stock
Vellaikolamban Dwarfing and allopolyploid
Rumani Dwarfing
Moovandan and Nekkare Salt tolerant
Olive Olea huspidata Nematode resistant
Peach Prunus besseyi, Ruter’s red leaf Dwarfing
and Rubira Nemaguard, Nemared
Nematode resistant
shalil and Yunnan
Pear Quince A Vigourous
Quince B Semi- vigourous
Quince C Dwarfing
Pyrus pyrifolia and Commercially in hills.
P. pashia
 Name of Root stocks Distinguishing features
fruit
Plum Pixi and Dwarfing for plums
St. Julien K, St. Julien A. vigorous Cold hardy
Brompton Mariana Result of cross between Prunus cerasifera x P.
munsoniana, nematode resistant
Myrobalan Resistant to cold, collar rot and nematodes
Sapota Manilkara hexandra Commercially used for most of the Sapota
cultivars.
Walnut Paradox (J. hindsi x J. nigra) Shows delayed incompatibility
Juglans nigra Resistant to crown rot, susceptible to water
logged saline or nematode infested soil.
 B. Effect of scion on rootstock
1. Vigour of the rootstocks:
In apple, it has been found that if apple seedlings were budded with the 'Red Astrachan' apple, the
rootstock produced a very fibrous root system with few tap roots. On the other hand, if scion
'Goldenburg' was budded on the seedlings, they produced two or three pronged deep roots without
fibrous root system.
In citrus, if the scion cultivar is less vigorous than the rootstock, the rate of growth and the ultimate
size of the tree is more determined by the scion rather than the rootstocks.
2. Cold hardiness of the rootstock
Cold hardiness of citrus roots is affected by the scion cultivar. Sour orange seedlings budded to
'Eureka' suffered much more from winter injury than the unbudded seedlings.
3. Precocity in flowering
Young mango rootstock seedlings (6 months to one year old) were found to put forth inflorescence
when the branches from old trees are inarched which can be attributed to the influence of scion on
the rootstock.
 Graft incompatibility among fruit tree species and causes at graft interface.
Type of
Grafted tree Causes
incompatibility
Apple Anatomical flaws Vascular discontinuity
Apricot/plum Anatomical flaws Weak graft union formation
Cherries Anatomical flaws Poor phloem development and/or weak unions
Apricot/plum Anatomical flaws Bark and wood discontinuity at the graft union
Apricot Localized Differences in the phenol content between tissues above and below graft union
Pear/quince Localized Lower lignification, disruption of vascular continuity, and interruption vascular cambium
Grapevine Localized Accumulation of phenolic compounds at graft interface
kiwifruit Localized Differences in genetic affinity coefficients
Litchi Localized Yellow leaves and lower superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase activities
Olive Localized Problem in differentiation of cambium and vascular systems at graft interface
European and
Japanese plums on
Localized Prune brown line disease symptoms
peach-almond
hybrids
Sweet cherry Translocated Peroxidase activity
Peach/plum Translocated Phloem degeneration and carbohydrate remobilization limitation
Pear Pathogen-induced Disruption of graft union by phytoplasma
Citrus Pathogen-induced Quick decline by production of viral protein
Walnut Pathogen-induced Blackline and death of scion
Apple Pathogen-induced Apple union necrosis and decline (AUND)
Apple Rootstocks