Graft compatibility for new peach rootstocks in nursery

Graft compatibility between peach cultivars [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] and Prunus spp. rootstocks under selection, or of plant material recently introduced into Spain, was evaluated. Trials were established at Aula Dei Experimental Station (EEAD-CSIC) in Zaragoza, Spain. Peach cultivars 'Baby Gold 5', 'Catherina' and 'Tebana', and nectarine cultivars 'Big Top', 'Super Crimson Gold' and 'Summergrand' were grafted on peach seedlings, plum rootstocks, peach-almond hybrids and other interspecific hybrid rootstocks. Part of the evaluated material belongs to the EEAD-CSIC selection program ('Pollizo of Murcia' plums, 'Adafuel', 'Adara' and 'Adarcias') which has shown good adaptation to Mediterranean growing conditions. The other group of rootstocks is from a co-obtention program between EEAD-CSIC and the private nursery Agromillora Catalana S.A. The remaining rootstocks, 'Bruce', 'Evrica', 'Hiawatha', 'Ishtara', 'Tetra' and 'Krymsk-1' are of diverse origins and have been recently introduced in Spain. A peach and a plum source, 'GF 677' and 'Adesoto', respectively, were used as reference rootstocks. Both are widely used for peach and nectarine production. Peach-almond hybrids and slow-growing plums (P. insititia plums as 'Pollizo of Murcia', P. domestica) were graft-compatible with all tested cultivars. However, in the case of fast growing plums (P. cerasifera and interspecific hybrids with this species), behaviour differed substantially depending on the evaluated genotype. Several degrees of graft incompatibility were found for both 'localized' and 'translocated' types of incompatibilities.