“As a top fruit consultant I am involved in setting up Conference orchards on Q-Eline in Great Britain. We carried out our first trials in 2006. They showed that Q-Eline produces well-shaped, smooth pears of a good size. The rootstock is also very productive; the trees start producing more readily and sometimes also earlier than trees grafted on Adams quinces. There are moreover fewer or no compatibility problems of the kind that we get with C quinces in Great Britain. On top of this, the trees are ideal for small orchards.
A disadvantage is that the rootstock is not always that vital, making irrigation and/or fertigation essential on many British soils. Another aspect that must be given adequate attention is fertilisation, but that holds for C quinces too. Providing sufficient water is available in areas with the right type of soil, Q-Eline is our first choice for Conference.”
