Abstract
Soil environment strongly contributes to tree growth and development, affecting nutrient and water uptake. Composite woody perennials, like apple, are a combination of two genetically different parts: a rootstock and a scion, and yet, the role of each part on nutrient uptake and distribution under differing soil environments has not been previously studied. We tested how water limitations and elevated soil temperatures, applied to different apple rootstocks and scions, affected mineral nutrient uptake and distribution on young apple trees. Two one-year-old potted apple cultivars were grown in a greenhouse, ‘Honeycrisp’ and ‘Gala,’ combined with four rootstocks: G890, G41, M9, and B9. Belowground abiotic environmental treatments were imposed for 60 days after trees reached approximately 45 cm height. Water limitations reduced aboveground biomass and, to a lesser extent, root biomass. ‘Gala’ and the rootstock G890 showed elevated mineral nutrient uptake compared to ‘Honeycrisp’ and the other rootstock genotypes. Additionally, G890 showed a greater plasticity for both biomass and mineral nutrient accumulation. Elevated soil temperatures increased the ratios of K:Ca, N:Ca, Mg:Ca, and (N + K + Mg):Ca in leaf tissue of rootstock G41 and ‘Honeycrisp’. These findings highlight the importance of the use of scion and rootstock genotypes that are adapted to specific soil environments to ensure optimal nutrient uptake.
Highlights
Water availability is one of the most significant limitations to plant productivity and largely dictates the distribution of plant species around the world [1,2]
Biomass was lower under water-limited conditions and this effecttrees wasthat mostly reported here accumulation agree with previous studies where water supply was reduced for fruit led driven by decreases aboveground growth rather belowground growth
Our results showed a higher content of nitrogen, calcium, potassium, and magnesium on the roots of the G890 rootstock with both cultivars compared to less vigorous rootstocks such as G41, M9, and B9 (Table 3)
Summary
Water availability is one of the most significant limitations to plant productivity and largely dictates the distribution of plant species around the world [1,2]. Many tree fruit producing arid regions are typically exposed to elevated abiotic stress including high light intensity, temperature, and low rainfall that can affect crop yield and quality [3]. Most of these regions frequently rely on irrigation to provide an adequate water supply to maintain orchard productivity [4] and fruit quality [5]. These irrigation-dependent regions may experience higher risks from variations in water availability and elevated temperatures in the future [6,7]. Rootstocks are essential components in productive apple orchards because of their contributions to water and nutrient
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