New Insights into Rootstock–Scion Interactions in Horticultural Crops, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Propagation and Seeds".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 21 May 2025 | Viewed by 1553

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
1. Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Kauno Str. 30, LT-54333 Kaunas, Lithuania
2. Department of Horticulture, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research—NIBIO Ullensvang, Ullensvangvegen 1005, NO-5781 Lofthus, Norway
Interests: fruit tree cultivars; rootstocks; fruit physiology; crop load regulation; preharvest fruit quality
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Guest Editor
Research Center for Fruit Growing, Institute for Horticultural Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Park tca 2., 1223 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: walnuts; phenology; breeding; evaluation of varieties; genetics; orchard systems; growing technologies; rootstock
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Grafts are applied in several crops in horticulture, such as fruit trees, grape, vegetables, and woody ornamentals. Rootstock–scion interactions in grafts are inevitable in modern horticulture due to their extended adaptability, and improved efficiency in orchard systems incorporating modern technology.

Grafts are composite plants, which consist of two or three components: rootstocks, scion, and, in certain cases, inter-stocks. Grafting partners form a graft union and later grow as a composite plant, unifying partners in a complex metabolic system. However, the genome of partners determines their phenotypic characters, and the unified metabolic system connecting the processes located in the scion and the rootstock through complex pathways results in metabolic and phenotype modifications. Thus, rootstock–scion interactions may manifest in the agronomic features of grafted plants, which are essential for modern horticulture, including wide adaptability to pedo-climatical conditions, tolerance, or resistance to biotic and abiotic stress factors. On the other hand, phenotype modifications of the scion may improve the vegetative and generative characteristics of a variety of crops through growth control, phenology, cropping efficiency, fruit quality and decreased sensitivity to pest and disease. All of these agronomic features are based on physiological processes involving metabolite production, hormonal flux and interactions, the uptake and transport of water and nutrients, or the scion’s gene expression.

This Special Issue, "New Insights into Rootstock–Scion Interactions in Horticultural Crops, 2nd Edition", aims to present state-of-the-art research from around the world. We welcome submissions of innovative studies that consider the aforementioned areas related to scion–rootstock interactions, ranging from agronomic applicable features to the physiology of composite plants grown from a graft union.

Dr. Darius Kviklys
Dr. Geza Bujdoso
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • growth control
  • cropping efficiency and crop quality
  • response to biotic and abiotic stress factors
  • water supply and plant water potential
  • nutrient uptake and transport
  • hormonal interactions
  • phenology characteristics
  • graft compatibility

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 1199 KiB  
Article
‘Rootpac R’ for Apricots? Yes!
by Edina Mendelné Pászti, Géza Bujdosó, Sezai Ercisli and Ákos Mendel
Horticulturae 2024, 10(6), 547; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10060547 - 23 May 2024
Viewed by 1006
Abstract
The rootstock ‘Rootpac R’ is not used for apricots. The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of ‘Rootpac R’ in comparison to the widely used ‘Myrobalan 29C’ rootstock. The evaluation of the rootstocks was conducted in combination with 16 scion [...] Read more.
The rootstock ‘Rootpac R’ is not used for apricots. The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of ‘Rootpac R’ in comparison to the widely used ‘Myrobalan 29C’ rootstock. The evaluation of the rootstocks was conducted in combination with 16 scion cultivars to assess their effects on vegetative traits and mortality. The total height of the trees on ‘Rootpac R’ initially surpassed the ‘Myrobalan 29C’ trees. By the end of the fourth year, both rootstocks showed comparable heights with ‘Rootpac R’ standing at 317 cm and ‘Myrobalan 29C’ standing at 307 cm. Both rootstocks exhibited comparable TCSA values of 5 cm2 initially; ‘Rootpac R’ surpassed 35% compared to ‘Myrobalan 29C’. Canopy space occupancy assessments revealed that ‘Rootpac R’ initially demonstrated superior space utilization, occupying 8% of the designated volume compared to 4% for ‘Myrobalan 29C’. By the fourth year, ‘Rootpac R’ exhibited a higher occupancy rate of 65% compared to 50% for ‘Myrobalan 29C’. For apricot cultivars, such as ‘Bergeron’, ‘C. óriás’, ‘Gönci magyarkajszi’, ‘Lady Cot’, ‘Tardif de Valance’, and ‘Tom Cot’, ‘Rootpac R’ exhibited survival rates beyond the fourth season, highlighting its effectiveness for these varieties. Based on these results, ‘Rootpac R’ rootstock could be useful in apricot growing. Full article
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Rootpac R for apricots? Yes!
Author: Mendel
Highlights: Through comparative experiments, we aim to gain understanding of the impact on vegetative and generative devel-opment, viability, and usefulness of rootstocks. 'Rootpac R' is not used for apricots and is the subject of our first large-scale comparative experiment. 'Rootpac R' has achieved the best results among all the tested rootstocks, making it an excellent choice for apricots.

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