The Role of Rootstock in Horticultural Crops and Its Influence on Growth and Development
A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Vegetable Production Systems".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 February 2026 | Viewed by 518
Special Issue Editors
Interests: fruit tree genetic improvement; breeding for disease resistance and climate resilience in kiwifruit; rootstocks comparison in grafted kiwifruit
Interests: sustainable fruit production; climate adaptation strategies in cherry, kiwifruit and grapevine; genetic improvement in fruit crops; predictive modeling and applied statistics in horticulture
Interests: fruit germplasm collection; kiwifruit breeding; biotic and abiotic stress genetics; molecular assisted selection
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Rootstocks play a pivotal role in modern horticultural crop cultivation, serving as the foundation for grafted scions and significantly influencing plant performance, resilience, and adaptability. This Special Issue aims to explore the multifaceted impact of rootstocks on growth dynamics, physiological responses, yield components, and product quality across a broad spectrum of species, including both fruit tree and vegetable crops. Grafting onto selected rootstocks can modulate plant vigor, precocity, nutrient uptake efficiency, stress tolerance (e.g., drought, salinity, cold), and resistance to soil-borne pathogens. In both perennial and annual cropping systems, the rootstock–scion interaction is increasingly recognized as a key determinant of canopy architecture, reproductive development, and overall crop productivity and sustainability.
We invite original research articles and reviews that address the genetic, physiological, agronomic, and molecular aspects of rootstock influence in horticultural crop systems. Contributions focusing on rootstock selection, rootstock–scion compatibility, advances in rootstock breeding, and the integration of rootstock traits for climate change adaptation are especially welcome. This Special Issue aims to provide a platform to share innovative findings that advance our understanding of how rootstocks contribute to the optimization of diverse horticultural production systems under changing environmental conditions.
Dr. Gloria De Mori
Dr. Catalina Pinto
Prof. Dr. Guido Cipriani
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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-blind 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 2200 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.
Keywords
- rootstock–scion interaction
- grafting compatibility
- stress resistance
- orchard performance
- climate change
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