The relationship of hydraulic conductance to root system characteristics of peach (Prunus persica) rootstocks

Specific rootstocks can differentially influence the vegetative growth and development of fruit trees. However, the physiological mechanism involved in this phenomenon has been elusive. Recent research comparing different peach ( Prunus persica L. Batsch) rootstocks suggests that the rootstock effect on vegetative growth in peach trees is associated to water relations and more specifically to differences in rootstock hydraulic conductance. This study was intended to confirm differences in hydraulic characteristics of similar size peach trees grafted on different rootstocks and to examine root system characteristics that could be associated with rootstock hydraulic limitations. Trees on rootstocks that were known to have a size-controlling effect when grown under field conditions had lower rootstock conductance than trees on the vigorous (control) rootstock when rootstock hydraulic conductance was measured with both the high-pressure and evaporative flow methods. Rootstocks with the lowest hydraulic conductance had less fine root surface area and length per unit root dry weight than the more vigorous (control) rootstock. However, contrary to previous field studies, in this study there were no significant differences in dry matter production and distribution among trees on the different rootstocks suggesting that whatever the normal growth control mechanism was, it did not differentially influence growth under the specific conditions of this study. This research confirmed that peach rootstocks exhibiting size-controlling behavior under field conditions differed in their hydraulic and morphological characteristics under controlled growth conditions even when those growth conditions negated the expression of the size-controlling behavior.