Effects of Rootstock on Growth, Bloom, Yield, Maturity, and Fruit Quality of Prune (Prunus domestica L.)1

Tests in 11 plots of ‘Italian’, ‘Early Italian’, and ‘Brooks’ prunes showed several influences of rootstock on tree growth, flowering, yield, fruit size, maturity, and quality. Of the 6 Prunus species represented by the 19 rootstocks tested, myrobalan roots usually resulted in larger trees, heavier bloom, but lower yield efficiency than did peach roots. Trees on Marianna and several P. domestica L. roots varied in size and yield, but most of them had greater bloom density than trees on peach root. ‘Italian’ fruit firmness varied inconsistently with rootstock. ‘Early Italian’ fruits were firmer on peach than on other roots, but ‘Brooks’ fruits were less firm on peach than on other roots. The tendency for internal fruit browning of ‘Italian’ was greater on plums than on peach roots. Other fruit maturity and quality factors varied by cultivar and by individual rootstock. Fewer trees on peach root died from trunk canker ( Pseudomonas syringae van Hall) than did those on several clonal plum roots, but some plum-rooted trees outgrew the canker and survived as well as trees on peach stock.