“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 thanks to the almost complete absence of branching.
Q-Eline also produces much smoother pears than Conference. This is an advantage in years in which pears show a lot of russeting, but in years with little russeting the pears may be too smooth for certain European markets because of the risk of slight damaged caused by abrasion in the sorting machines.
There’s already a lot of interest in Q-Eline worldwide, and I expect the rootstocks will replace some of the other quince rootstocks, in particular C quinces. Tree growers and fruit producers may regard the licence as insurance against frost damage!”
