Diversity in anatomical features of rose rootstock root necks: Rosa canina ‘Inermis’, ‘Pfänder’, ‘Schmid's Ideal’, Rosa laxa Retz. and Rosa multiflora Thunb.

Abstract

The budding is the most used method of propagation the rose cultivars especially in temperate zone and cooler climate regions. The cause of the components not joining together are attributed to differences in their anatomical and histological structure. The anatomy of the root necks of rose rootstocks is surveyed and analysed based on the study of five taxa commonly in nursery production: Rosa canina ‘Inermis’, ‘Pfänder’, ‘Schmid's Ideal’, Rosa laxa, and Rosa multiflora. The study focused on the rootstock layers coming into contact with the cultivar scion at budding to form an adhesion. The anatomical structure of the root-neck tissues differs significantly in the studied taxa in terms of the observed tissue elements: earlywood, latewood, pith rays, phloem, vessels, cambium layer. The specific arrangement is shown by layers of sclerenchyma and phloem fibers. Taking into account the anatomical structure of the shoot tissues, the above-mentioned rootstocks can be classified in Group I of the Rosaceae. The tissue structure of earlywood in Rosa canina 'Inermis', 'Pfänder', 'Schmid's Ideal', Rosa laxa indicated reduced growth in the period immediately following rootstock planting in the field in spring, which was influenced by low rainfall in the period from March to the beginning of May. The cambium showed a different but high activity at the time of rootstock harvest, which coincided with the period of budding. The results of the study showing differences in anatomy structure indicate the possibility of a different response to budding and the initiation of adhesion processes.