Regional Fruit Research Station, Punjab Agricultural University, Abohar 152 116
A rootstock trial using Jatti khatti, Kharna khatta, Troyer, Carrizo, Rangpur lime, Pectinifera, Cleopatra and Citrumelo rootstocks for Blood Red cultivar of sweet orange was planted in 1968. Results obtained upto 1990 revealed that Jatti khatti performed better for the first 12–13 years age of the trees due to high vigour and better fruit yield. After 1983, trees of Blood Red raised on Jatti khatti started dying and by 1990, only 59% trees survived; whereas on Cleopatra all the trees survived. Tree volume was 36.1 m3 on Jatti khatti against 64.1 m3 on Cleopatra rootstock during 1990. The trees on Jatti khatti rootstock showed only 21% healthy trees with lower mean yield (181 fruits/tree) compared to Cleopatra which showed cent per cent healthy trees with more mean yield (265 fruits/tree) upto 1990. The trees of Blood Red budded on Cleopatra rootstock had better fruit quality compared to those on Jatti khatti.
