Publications - Faculty - Recently Submitted Faculty Publications 2008
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Castle - HortScience
A Career Perspective on Citrus Rootstocks, Their Development and Commercialization
William S. Castle
Abstract:“No problem in citrus culture is worthier of painstaking research than the one having to do with rootstocks. The whole gamut of citrus fruit production is affected by the relation of rootstock to scion and the adaptability of different combinations to the environment. Something is known but much remains to be found out.”
-H.H. Hume (1957)
Professor Hume was right: rootstocks are critical and much is still to be learned. Rootstocks and scions are the foundation of many tree fruit industries of the world. Together, those components establish profitability, but it can be argued that the rootstock is the critical component otherwise scions would be grown on their own roots everywhere. There is no precedent for the failure of a citrus industry because of an inadequate scion variety, but serious problems have occurred because of a less than satisfactory rootstock. Therefore, after 35 years in the field conducting rootstock and scion evaluations and working with a citrus plant improvement team, here is an historical perspective on citrus rootstocks along with some observations and reflections on the human or social side of research and grower-cooperation.
