“We have been using Q-Eline at our fruit-tree nursery for only two to three years. Although it may take up to twenty years to form a good impression of a new rootstock, Q-Eline appears to have a good stability and to yield good bud-grafting results, comparable with those of A and Adams quinces.
The coming years we want to ask fruit growers whether they would like to try out Q-Eline, in particular in combination with Conference. If the rootstock proves to be an improvement in terms of fruit size and yields we will encourage fruit growers to plant this rootstock in commercial orchards. But at the moment, the rootstock is still essentially in its trial phase.
Some major problems relating to Quince rootstocks in general in European orchards are ‘fire blight’, ‘pear decline’ and ‘frost hardiness’ in very severe winters. We very much hope that Q-Eline will turn out to be robust enough, and that growers will be willing to plant it to gain experience with it.”
