Rootstocks for grafted vines

Winegrowers Supplies - Rootstocks for Grafted Vines

The main rootstocks used for grafting in Germany and Luxembourg are SO4 and Binova, 5C, 5BB and 125AA. These are crosses between two native American vines (Vitis berlandieri x Vitis riparia) and thus have the highest resistance to phylloxera. Published information on these rootstocks is generally incomplete and occasionally contradictory, so I have compiled data from various sources (German Federal Office for Varieties; Taschenbuch der Rebsorten; Geisenheim publications, French publications etc.):-

These rootstocks are suitable for soils with pH between 6.0 and 7.5. Outside this range it would be beneficial (though not essential) to adjust the pH. In my experience SO4 performs adequately in acidic red sandstone at pH 5.2 and also in almost solid chalk at pH 8.3 (about 20% 'active' limestone).

Choosing a rootstock, for the variety you wish to grow, depends on your soil, on the training system / plant spacing, the strength of growth of the variety and its sensitivity in flowering, on how well it ripens its wood and its resistance to winter-frost, on the susceptibility to fungal diseases and the time of ripening. Some of the points for consideration are :-
1. A training system with 1000 vines per acre (which is wide planting by European standards) needs at least an average (Gravesac) or more vigorous rootstock (SO4, 5C).
2. Sensitive (weak) flowering varieties (Siegerrebe, Gewürztraminer etc) should not be on 5BB or 125AA.
3. Naturally very strong growing varieties (Huxelrebe, Regner, Auxerrois, Dornfelder) should be on a vigorous rootstock (SO4, 5C).
4. Weak-growing but strong flowering varieties (Seyval, Senator) benefit from a very vigorous rootstock (5BB) in order to produce sufficient leaf-wall for optimum flowering and ripening.
5. Müller-Thurgau, Huxelrebe, Reichensteiner, which have only moderate wood-ripening and poor winter-frost resistance, should not be on 5BB, particularly in more northerly districts. Faberrebe, Regner and Würzer should also not be on 5BB.

The main rootstocks now used in France are SO4, 3309, 161-49 and increasing in popularity are Gravesac and 34EM. French vines are relatively close planted so they tend to use less vigorous rootstocks.
In Alsace the vinegrowers say that Fercal is 1 week later ripening than SO4 and up to 2 weeks later than 3309.

Here is a table of rootstock information:-

Rootstock	Resistance to chalk/limestone		Strength of growth	Tolerance of badly drained wet soils	Resistance to drought	Effect on the vegetative cycle	Type of growth	Notes
Rootstock	Active%	Total%	Strength of growth	Tolerance of badly drained wet soils	Resistance to drought	Effect on the vegetative cycle	Type of growth	Notes
3309C	11	to 10	Medium to weak	Average	Weak to average	Advancing	Semi-tracing	Rootstock with a regular fruitfulness and advances maturation. Sensitive to nematodes.
Gravesac	12/14	to 20	Medium	Average	Average	Advancing	Semi-plunging	Good behaviour in sandy and acid ground. Seems to support quality.
5C	15	to 30	Medium to Vigorous	Average	Low	-	-	Not for cold wet soils or very dry soils.
Börner	15	to 20	Vigorous	-	High	-	-	V.Riparia x V.Cinerea. Geisenheim clone 1 Gm. Not suited to high chalk soils. Roots are phylloxera resistant.
SO4	18/20	to 30 or 40	Medium to vigorous	Good	Average to good	Normal	Semi-plunging	It supports fruitfulness and is sometimes a little too productive, but with control has a good quality potential. It adapts to the majority of soils.
Binova	20/30	to 40	A little stronger than SO4	Good	Average to good	Normal	Semi-plunging	A mutation of SO4. Clone 1 Op.
125AA	30	to 50	Vigorous	-	-	-	-	-
5BB	20	to 40	Very vigorous	Good	Average to good	Delaying	Semi-plunging	Good behaviour in poor ground and with types of vines with weak production of wood. Lengthens the vegetative cycle. Resistant to chlorosis.
34EM	20	to 35	Vigorous	Tolerant	Good	Advances a little	Semi-plunging	Good resistance to drought, offers a good balance of fruit/vegetation, supports quality but can be too vigorous in rich and heavy ground.
420A	20	to 40	Weak to medium	Tolerant	Average to weak	Advancing	Semi-plunging	It is used more and more for the production of high-class wines, in particular in Burgundy.
161-49	25	to 50	Medium to weak	Sensitive	Average to weak	Advancing	Semi-plunging	Early and good behaviour in light and deep ground. It decreases the risks of penduncular rot but is to be avoided with Pinots. Sensitive to nematodes.
333EM	40	to 70	Vigorous	Tolerant	Average	Normal	Plunging	Suitable for limestone while being less sensitive to magnesium deficiency than Fercal is.
Fercal	40/50	to 120	Vigorous	Tolerant	Weak to average	Normal	Tracing	The most resistant to active limestone. Fruitfulness average. High sensitivity to magnesium deficiency.
Riparia Gloire	3/6	to 5	Weak	Sensitive	Weak	Advancing	Tracing	Rootstock with low vigour, not for chalk/limestone. For vines with high density of planting; early maturation, mainly used for the production of top-of-range wines.
196-17	6	to 5	High	Sensitive	High	-	-	Sensitive to nematodes.
101-14	9	to 10	Medium	Average	Average	-	-	Widely used in USA. More vigorous than 3309C when planted in fertile soil with ample water.
Rupestris du Lot	14	to 20	Very high	Sensitive to tolerant	High to very high	-	-	-
R 99	14	to 20	High	Low to medium	Medium to high	-	-	-
R 110	17	to 30	Medium	Low to Medium	High	-	-	Suitable for very dry soils. Susceptible to chlorosis.
1103 P	17	to 30	Very high	Medium	Very high	-	-	Tolerant of salty soils.
Ru 140	20	to 90	High	Medium	High	-	-	-
41 B	40	to 60	Medium	Sensitive	Medium	-	-	Sensitive to nematodes.
Teleki 8B	High	High	Medium	-	-	-	-	Not for very dry soils.