The Effect of Rootstocks on the Performance of Chardonnay from a Nematode-Infested Barossa Valley Vineyard

Abstract

Chardonnay scions grafted to 15 rootstocks all outyielded ungrafted vines over five consecutive harvests commencing in 1984. The rootstocks Ramsey, SO4, K51-32, and Schwarzmann imparted high scion vigor and yield; 5BB Kober, 1613, Harmony, and Teleki 5A were mid-range in yield while 420A and ARG1 were poor yielders in every year. There was a 23-fold difference in the weight of prunings between scions grafted onto Ramsey rootstock compared with ungrafted at pruning 1985. Scions grafted onto the rootstock Ramsey had six times more fruit than ungrafted at harvest 1988. In only one of three years for which berry samples were collected were there significant differences in °Brix.