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 our experience SO4 performs adequately in acid 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 (Fercal or Gravesac) or 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, Fercal and 161-49. French vines are relatively close planted so they tend to use less vigorous rootstocks.

Here is a table of rootstock information from French (and German) nurseries:-

Rootstock	Resistance to chalk/limestone		Strength of growth	Adaptation to badly drained soils	Resistance to drought	Effect on the vegetative cycle	Type of growth	Notes
Rootstock	Active%	Total%	Strength of growth	Adaptation to badly drained soils	Resistance to drought	Effect on the vegetative cycle	Type of growth	Notes
3309C	11	to 10	Medium	Tolerant enough	Weak to average	Advancing	Semi-tracing	Rootstock with a regular fruitfulness and advances maturation. To avoid with Pinots in heavy ground. Sensitive to nematodes.
Gravesac	12/14	to 20	Medium	Tolerant	Average	Advancing	Semi-plunging	Good behavior in sandy and acid ground. Seems to support quality. It's use is very recent so it is not possible yet to know all the behavior.
5C	15	to 30	Medium to Vigorous	-	-	-	-	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 phyloxera 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 behavior 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	Intermediate rootstock between SO4 and 161-49; 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	Medium	Tolerant	Weak to average	Normal	Tracing	The most resistant to active limestone. Precocity and fruitfulness average. High sensitivity to magnesium deficiency.
Riparia Gloire	3/6	to 5	Weak	Sensitive to Tolerant	Weak	Advancing	Tracing	Rootstock with low strength, not for chalk/limestone, vines with strong density of plantation; mainly used for the production of top-of-range.
196-17	6	to 5	High	Sensitive	High	-	-	Sensitive to nematodes.
101-14	9	to 10	Medium	Tolerant	Average	-	-	-
Rupestris du Lot	14	to 20	Very high	Sensitive to tolerant	High to very high	-	-	-
R 99	14	to 20	High	Medium	High	-	-	-
R 110	17	to 30	Medium	Medium	Average	-	-	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.