Determination of growth vigor in plum genotypes aiming to be used as rootstock

Plum has taken place in the genus Prunus of the Rosaceae family of the Rosales order. Turkey is particularly one of the center of origin where many important cultivars of P. cerasifera Ehrh., P insititia L. and P. spinosa occured. These species have been worldwide considered with their rootstock features. In this work, morphological plant characteristics were compared with the characteristics of plant vascular elements. For this purpose, in the years 2016 and 2017, 12 different P. cerasifera genotypes were used together with commercially valued rootstocks like Myrobolan 29 C, Pixy and Gediz EK A 56-2 as control. In this study, 4 morphological and 15 histological parameters were examined. Results showed that: plant elongation and growth vigor augmented with the increments in xylem diameter and area ratio; increases in cortex diameter and area ratio were decreased the plant growth vigor. Parameter of cortex/xylem vessel area directly influenced the growth vigor and decreases in growth vigor in parallel with increasing cortex/xylem vessel area were predicted. Moreover, elongation of xylem vessels in vertical axis did decrease the plant growth vigor was observed. And the decrease in xylem vessel area was increased the plant height was predicted. Comparing the entire evaluating genotypes: The genotypes T7 and B9 were the most dwarf while the 17 and B6 were the most vigorous ones was concluded. In this study, a method which will accelerate the rootstock breeding works, through use of the characteristics of plant vascular elements, as pre-selection criteria to predict the growth vigor, which is an important feature in rootstock selection concurrently was exposed.