United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists in New York State have identified key genes that could boost greatly beneficial attributes of rootstocks, which are critical to the nation's US$3 billion apple industry.

USDA Agricultural Research Service geneticist Gennaro Fazio collaborated with Cornell University scientists with the aim of boosting rootstocks' nutrient uptake, productivity and dwarfing characteristics.

Most commercial apples trees are bred in two sections - the fruit-bearing scion that is above ground and determines the apple's variety, and the rootstock which determines the tree's size, when it will begin harvesting and how well it resists soil diseases and transports nutrients to the scion.

The research team analyzed the genetics in two rootstock populations that had been studied for several years to see if certain genes played a role in dwarfing, early bearing and fruit productivity.

Dwarfing produces smaller trees, which in turn increases yield per acre, and early bearing reduces the wait required for a young tree to begin producing fruit.

In recent years, rootstock research has been able to reduce the time from five to two years.

The results were published in 2014 in the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science and will reportedly boost efforts by researchers and breeders to improve apple rootstocks.

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