This is a press release from Cornell about three new rootstock introductions, Geneva 257, Geneva 484 and Geneva 66, so few practical details are provided. They are all semi-dwarfing. It will be interesting to see how and if the three fare in the expanding world of rootstocks.
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Interesting. They have too many types in that 40-55% range. I understand 969 was supposed to be smaller and fit a niche next to M26. But it is closer to M106.
—G.257 is semidwarfing. It was selected as a young seedling because it demonstrated resistance against phytophthora crown rot and fire blight. G.257 has been particularly successful, in terms of productivity and fruit size, with the New York 1 variety, a Cornell release limited to growers in New York and marketed as SnapDragon. Fazio said the main reason for the release of G.257 is so growers can pair it with NY 1.
—G.484 is semidwarfing. It appears to be a good choice on weak soils or under organic management, due to its uptake of nitrogen and potassium. Its potassium uptake would make it a poor fit with Honeycrisp but an excellent choice with other weak cultivars, because it can fill space rapidly and produce high yields. G.484 is highly productive, yield efficient and resistant to fire blight.
—G.66 is a semidwarfing, red-leafed, precocious and productive rootstock that is resistant to fire blight. In tests, it consistently rated high in horticultural performance and productivity. It appears to be a good choice for weak cultivars like Honeycrisp because it has a good ratio of potassium to calcium. It also would be good for multileader trees, since its vigor level will allow the trees to rapidly grow several leaders on each tree and fill space.
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It’s about time they did some ‘second generation’ crossing. If these are free standing, then maybe one of them offers something better than the offerings of the last 15+ years for the hobbyist.
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