The Effect of Rootstocks on the Horticultural Performance of Fruit Tree Crops

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue is related to the physiological phenotypic and genotypic expression of fruit tree crops; therefore the scope is quite wide for the relevant researchers, academics and fruit tree crop industries to submit their articles.

Physiological characteristics in plants refer to the internal processes and functions that occur within a plant to enable it to survive and reproduce. These characteristics encompass a wide range of activities, including photosynthesis, respiration, nutrient uptake, water transport, and responses to environmental conditions. They are essential for plant growth, development, and overall health.

The development and adoption of high-performance scion–rootstock combinations are fundamental to supporting the growth and profitability of future plant crops and meeting consumer expectations. A range of tree characteristics are influenced by rootstocks. Rootstocks profoundly influence most aspects of fruit production such as tree vigor, precocity, productivity, fruit quality, and resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. There is a need for the consistent production and supply of high-quality fruit with improved external and internal quality suitable for both domestic and export markets. Marginal soil and climatic conditions are becoming a limitation to growing fruit commercially and sustainably. Rootstock research is thus a high priority for fruit crops. These include tree size, cropping efficiency, and fruit quality, including fruit size. There is increased interest in the use of rootstocks to reduce tree size and vigor, allowing higher planting densities in many fruit crops around the world. The adoption of higher-density plantings with smaller, less vigorous (dwarfed) trees producing greater yield per canopy surface area and per hectare would improve production efficiency. Dwarfing rootstocks must be tested under various soil and climatic conditions prior to their widespread adoption.

Beyond horticultural traits, rootstocks are a vital source of genetic resistance to soilborne pathogens and pests, including nematodes, fungi, and viruses. Their defensive role significantly reduces the dependence on chemical inputs, aligning fruit production with integrated pest management (IPM) and sustainable agriculture principles. Furthermore, rootstock-mediated tolerance to abiotic stresses—such as salinity, drought, and low nutrient availability—extends the geographical range of fruit cultivation and mitigates yield losses under suboptimal environmental conditions. Therefore, breeding programs have increasingly focused on the genetic improvement of rootstocks to address emerging challenges in fruit production.

This issue will accept articles on fruit tree crops in relation to wider physiological aspects such as yield, quality, and production, while the genetic aspects may include variety and rootstock breeding of fruit crops.

Dr. Tahir Khurshid
Dr. Lynn Hoffman
Dr. Alberto Continella
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• physiology
• fruit production
• breeding
• varieties
• rootstocks