Determining rootstock incompatibility for apricot Prunus armeniaca ‘Patterson’

Rootstocks are often used in both perennial and annual crops for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, the enhancement in resistance to soil borne pathogens and pests, size control, increasing vigor and/or yield, nutrient uptake, soil variability and/or tolerance to certain salts.
Increasing interest in rootstocks for certain purposes, in particular almond production, is leading to an increase in available rootstocks with a variety of parentages.
These hybrids, although proving to provide options to almond growers, may or may not be compatible with other Prunus spp. crops such as apricot. ‘Patterson’ apricot, a cultivar of apricot commonly grown for canning and frozen apricot production in Stanislaus County, CA may be compatible with some of these rootstocks bred for clay soil and salt tolerance, a common issue on the west side of Stanislaus where apricots are grown.
Unfortunately, little is known regarding Patterson apricot rootstock compatibility therefore this study represents the first Patterson apricot graft incompatibility trial across ten current rootstocks of interest for the almond industry.
Two rootstocks resulted in failure, while the other eight rootstocks did not.
Further research is needed to determine the level of success of the remaining eight rootstocks.

XXXI International Horticultural Congress (IHC2022): International Symposium on Innovative Perennial Crops Management

K. Arnold, R. Duncan, M. Al Rwahnih, E. Fete, L. Alfonso, K. Sanchez, D. Green, J. Vasquez-Mendoza, C. Margarite

rootstock, almond, compatible, incompatible, California

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2023.1366.39