Rootstock Genetics and Improvement in Breeding

Dear Colleagues,

The effect that rootstock–scion interactions have on vigor, nutrient and water uptake has a decisive impact on crop success and the quality of fruit crops. Modern tendencies toward high-density orchard systems in horticulture, in addition to global warming, have made it necessary to develop rootstock to have sustainable crops. There are several benefits to using intensive orchards to increase profitability. Production costs can be reduced, for example, with more consistent cropping to increase the efficiency of labor use. Moreover, more advanced studies have been conducted on the role of rootstock in increasing biotic and abiotic stresses, and its relationship with microbes must also be studied to reduce chemical inputs.

Rootstock–scion interaction must consider several breeding targets:

• Vigor control
• Precocious induction
• Consistent good yield
• Good fruit size 
• Winter hardiness
• Resistance to diseases (fungal and nematodes)
• Ease of propagation
• Scion compatibility

This Special Issue will examine recent advances in horticultural and mainly new methodologies, such as marker-trait association and parent seedling selection DNA-based tool development, together with the possibilities of new phenotyping platforms which can be implemented in rootstock breeding programs.

Dr. María José Rubio-Cabetas
Guest Editor

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