Effects of climate change on peach grafted into two contrasting Prunus spp. rootstocks

Abstract

In this experiment two micro-propagated Prunus rootstocks, GF 677 (Prunus amygdalus × P. persica), and Adesoto (P. insititia) were grown during 15 days then grafted with the peach cultivar ‘Catherina’. Plants were grown in 15 L containers with 1:1 sand-peat substrate for 10 days, divided randomly into four treatments and transferred to four temperate gradient greenhouses. Treatments were a combination of two CO2 levels, two temperature regimes and later submitted to deficit irrigation (daily watered with 80% of the evapotranspirated water). Dairy, soil water content was recorded by Watermark soil moisture sensors in control and water deficient plants. After 23 days, leaves and roots were separated, and fresh and dry weight, specific leaf area (SLA) and SPAD were measured in control and stressed plants. In both genotypes elevated CO2 and drought stress diminished shoot-to-root ratio and leaf DW diminished only under drought stress.