Spot Chromatography Identification of Citrus Rootstocks

THE importance of knowing the variety of the rootstock in a citrus orchard is more than academic. The tolerance of an orange tree to infectious diseases; the size, the number and quality of its fruits; the palatability of its fresh and processed juice; its rate of growth and its expected longevity are all dynamically affected by the rootstock on which it is growing. Many of the citrus trees in California and elsewhere are growing on rootstocks the identity of which is not definitely known.