Effect of ‘Dundee’ rootstock on growth, morphology, and nutrient uptake in ‘Tonda di Giffoni’ hazelnut
Author(s)
Date Issued
2023
Type
article
Issue
1379
Start Page
221
End Page
228
Journal
Abstract
European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is one of the most important tree nut species cultivated around the Mediterranean basin. It is a shrub which annually produces suckers, competing for water and nutrients and hindering mechanized management of mature hazelnut orchards. For this reason, suckers must be annually removed, a practice that is expensive and time-consuming. A possible solution to this problem is the use of non-suckering rootstocks such as the interspecific hybrid ‘Dundee’ (C. colurna × C. avellana). The aim of this work was to evaluate morphological and physiological traits, and mineral leaf content, to see the effect of the clonal rootstock ‘Dundee’ on the scion cultivar ‘Tonda di Giffoni’ compared to own-rooted plants of the same rootstock and cultivar. Each type of plant consisted of 40 replicates placed in 28×28 cm round perforated pots (15 L), and each one placed 70 cm apart to avoid shading. Of the leaf biometric traits, leaf size was greater on the grafted plants. Of the macro- and micronutrients in the leaves, grafted plants had higher concentrations of K, Ca, Mg, Mn and B, highlighting a possible positive effect in nutrient uptake. ‘Dundee’ used as a rootstock induces a longer bud dormancy in ‘Tonda di Giffoni’ compared to the same self-rooted cultivar, making the plant less susceptible to late frosts. The stomatal conductance values of grafted plants were much lower than those noted for the own-rooted ‘Tonda di Giffoni’, underlining the strong influence of the rootstock on the scion. These preliminary results obtained with potted plants are promising, although long-term observation under field conditions is necessary to better understand the agronomic behavior and yield performance of the grafted plants
Subjects