NC-140: Improving economic and environmental sustainability in tree fruit production through changes in rootstock use

The NC-140 Regional Research Project is designed to address a number of high-priority areas within the North Central Region as well as other parts of North America. This project seeks to enhance economically and environmentally sustainable practices in temperate fruit production by focusing on rootstocks. 

Massachusetts OBJECTIVES (2022-2027)

1. To evaluate the influence of rootstocks on vegetative and reproductive growth and development of temperate-zone fruit trees, orchard productivity and labor efficiency, and sustainable orchard management practices across diverse soils and climatic regions.
2. To integrate and disseminate research-based information and decision support tools that facilitate successful stakeholder adoption of rootstock technologies.

At the UMass Orchard: 2014 NC-140 Vineland-Geneva rootstock planting on 14 rootstocks with Honeycrisp as the scion, tree growth and yield data collected annually 2014-2023 (10 years). 2023 was the last year of data collection; Porters Perfection cider apple rootstock planting on 8 rootstocks in Spring 2023.