Department of Fruit Culture and Orchard Management, Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan 173 230.
* Present address: Regional Horticultural Research Station, Jachh (Nurpur), Distt. Kangra 176201 (H.P.).
Starking Delicious grafted on eleven rootstocks and subjected to −1, −5 and −10 bar soil moisture tension were evaluated for drought resistance. Plants raised on MM111, MM106, MM109, MM104 and M4 rootstocks showed less per cent reduction in growth, vigour and photosynthetic activity at −5 and −10 bar soil moisture tension as compared to those on M25, M26, M2 and seedling rootstocks. Plants on MM111 rootstocks had a significantly higher stomatal resistance and lowest transpiration rate, whereas the minimum stomatal resistance and maximum transpiration rate was recorded on M25 rootstock. Plants on MM111, MM106, MM109, MM104 and M4 rootstocks showed better tolerance to the drought conditions than those on M25, M26, M9, M2 and seedling rootstocks.
