Get back to your roots…

Observations and Comments about Root Systems

Mark Mazzola, U.S. Department of Agriculture micro biologist, in Wenatchee.

“…his work has focused, in part, on the relationship between apple rootstocks and the rhizosphere:

Different rootstocks can cultivate different mycorrhizal fungi and very different microbial communities, some more disease-resistant than others.“

[Taken from an article in GFG, Microbiome boost, April 1,2020]

“Striking the delicate balance between potassium and calcium has vexed growers for decades and still does.”…..

“Many factors – rootstocks, soil types, irrigation levels, and variety – affect how the plant transport nutrients to leaves and fruit.”

“Bernardita Sallato and plant physiologists Lee Kalcsits of WSU and Lailiang Cheng of Cornell University all have research projects underway to tackle these complex nutrient [root] interactions.”

[Taken from an article in GFG, Elemental questions, April 1,2020]

Rootstock Evaluations Already Complete

2018 Progress Report [2010-2018]

Evaluations of Cornell-Geneva Apple Rootstocks and other promising Rootstocks

[Basic Information of Minutes of Annual Meeting, 2018]

Horticultural performance of ‘Honeycrisp’ grown on a genetically diverse set of rootstocks under New York climatic conditions

  • “…… The dwarfing rootstocks G.814, G.41, G.11 and B-10 had the highest yields per hectare ….”

  • “…… The dwarfing rootstocks B-10, G.11. G.41 and G.814 had the highest yields per hectare of bitter pit free fruit.”

  • “…We identified a group of rootstocks that yielded high calcium levels in scion tissues (G.214, B-10, G.41, B.9, G.935, G.11 and CG.4003)…Rootstocks B.10 and CG.2034 induced consistently higher potassium values in fruit tissues. The ratio of K/Ca in leaves and fruit was the best predictor of bitter pit in ‘Honeycrisp’ apples, suggesting that rootstock induced levels for both nutrients play a role in this disorder…

    Rootstocks CG.4003, B-10, G.41 and G.214 seemed to produce fruit with lower levels of bitter pit. Our data indicates that some rootstocks are more efficient at absorbing nutrients than others…”

[Study Abstract, November 2019]