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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/SAgri/25
Significance of rootstocks in horticulture for sustainable production

1
2
1
Muhammad Tahir Akram *, Muhammad Azam Khan , Rashad Qadri , Muhammad Mumtaz
3
Khan
1 Department of Horticulture, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
2 Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan.
3 Department Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Marine Science, Sultan Qaboos
University, P.O. Box 34, Al-khod 123, Oman.

Correspondence: tahiruaf786@gmail.com
Abstract

Climate change is of global concern and worldwide water and soil resources are depleting with
time and is threatening for agriculture and food security. Further climate change is favoring the
certain harmful biotic organisms that are harmful to long-term horticulture production. In order
to meet global agricultural challenges of climate change, new technologies and farming
systems must be developed for sustainable horticulture production. In this regard, rootstocks
are an important component of modern agriculture's fruit crops. They are important in
determining orchard efficiency and fruit crop sustainability, as well as mitigating the negative
effects of climate change by increasing tolerance to temperature, salinity, and drought stress.
As a result, they could be a useful tool for managing hyper-arid zones, which are characterized
by a scarcity of water, limited resources, salinity, and the ever-changing desert climate.
Furthermore, the rootstocks have the ability to withstand biotic stresses as well as insect and
pest resistance, both of which are detrimental to long-term fruit production. They also have an
impact on fruit quality in terms of physical characteristics, internal chemical compositions, and
fruit early bearing. Rootstock breeding for fruit crops, on the other hand, is slower than scion
breeding. Therefore, there is a necessity to develop new rootstocks through traditional breeding
programs or by advanced biotechnology for sustainable horticulture production.
Keywords: Biotechnology; breeding programs; climate change; fruit; rootstocks; sustainable
horticulture

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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