Winnie Roelofs, Boomkwekerij Roelofs, Zeewolde (the Netherlands):
‘Great added value for the arboricultural and fruit sectors’
“We set up our first Q-Eline stool beds in the spring of 2013. We also have trees grafted on Q-Eline that will be ready for delivery in the 2015/2016 season.
The great advantages of Q-Eline are that this rootstock is fairly unsusceptible to frost damage and more compatible with, for example, Conference and B.A. Lucas. The plants also have a much straighter growth habit than the other quince varieties, making the work at the nursery a lot easier and quicker.
If I were a fruit grower, I would plant nothing but pear trees grafted on Q-Eline. They offer the arboricultural and fruit sectors great added value!”
Harry Heines, purchaser at Boomkwekerij Fleuren, Baarlo (the Netherlands):
‘Q-Eline rootstocks as insurance against frost damage’
“Unlike C, Adams and A quinces, Q-Eline quinces are not affected by stress in extremely hot and cold regions, and aren’t killed by heat, drought or frost. The rootstock’s good compatibility with other varieties moreover implies healthy growth. Major advantages with respect to cultivation procedures are the plants’ bolt upright growth, their extremely high production in stool beds and the little pruning they require. There’s already a lot of interest in Q-Eline worldwide, and I expect the rootstocks will replace some of the other quince rootstocks. Tree growers and fruit producers may regard the licence as insurance against frost damage!”
Adrie Verbeek, Verbeek Boomkwekerijen, Steenbergen (the Netherlands):
‘Q-Eline was the only rootstock that survived the frost of 2012’
“Via Boomkwekerij Fleuren we came into contact with the pear rootstock Q-Eline. We have now been using this rootstock at our nursery for a few years. A major advantage is its earlier moisture expulsion, making it better resistant to frost. At our nursery, Q-Eline was the only rootstock to survive the severe frost we had in the spring of 2012. The pears’ smoother skin may be a drawback in some respects, but certain markets and countries will on the contrary welcome it. This is something that will have to be further investigated. Q-Eline’s greater frost resistance certainly implies opportunities.”
Beat Lehner, Lehner Obstbau/Baumschulen, Felben-Wellhausen (Switzerland):
‘In future, we will be using only Q-Eline for our Conference pears’
“From experience I know that Q-Eline quince rootstocks are fertile and frost-resistant and produce pears of a good size. A disadvantage are the losses during planting. For the past five or six years, Q-Eline trials have been carried out in Switzerland, too. For us the rootstock is particularly interesting for Conference pears because the fruits show no russeting. We are currently also testing other varieties on this rootstock. But in future we will be using only Q-Eline for our Conference pears.”
Pieter van Rijn, Boomkwekerij Van Rijn – de Bruyn, Uden (the Netherlands):
‘Q-Eline is a rootstock that definitely deserves our attention’
“From experience I know that Q-Eline quince rootstocks are fertile and frost-resistant and produce pears of a good size. A disadvantage are the losses during planting. For the past five or six years, Q-Eline trials have been carried out in Switzerland, too. For us the rootstock is particularly interesting for Conference pears because the fruits show no russeting. We are currently also testing other varieties on this rootstock. But in future we will be using only Q-Eline for our Conference pears.”
Nick Dunn, owner of the Frank P Matthews Nursery, Tenbury Wells (Great Britain):
‘At the moment, Q-Eline is still essentially in its trial phase’
“We have been using Q-Eline at our fruit-tree nursery since 2010, but the rootstock 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.
Major problems relating to Q-Eline in European orchards are pear decline and fire blight, and its frost resistance 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.”