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Abstract
In the present era of climate change, drastically increasing or decreasing temperature, irregular or heavy rainfall, increasing level of CO2, soil degradation etc. limiting the crop production in different parts of the world. Due to their rapid and unpredictable effects, it became very difficult for agricultural scientists and farmers to respond to challenges posed by biotic and abiotic stresses. The use of rootstocks tolerant to different abiotic stresses like drought, salinity, temperature abnormality etc. may be an alternative approach to face these challenges. Fruit crops are perennial in nature and mostly propagated through vegetative means to meet the early and quality production requirements. The use of desirable scion and rootstock not only meet the requirement of early and quality production but also provides an alternative approach to face the challenges posed by biotic and abiotic stresses. Keeping in mind challenges of environmental stresses and quality fruit production in stress prone areas, the present need before researchers and growers is to fight with the era of changing climate. So, implication of rootstock breeding in fruit production technology is really instrumental for farmers.
Highlights
* Rootstock breeding, an alternative approach for abiotic stress (Salinity, draught, cold etc .) tolerance in perennial fruit trees.
* Use of rootstocks to increase production, productivity and quality in areas where environmental stress pose threat for survival of fruit crops
* To bring the degraded and waste land under cultivation by using desirable tolerant rootstocks.
Key words: Fruit crops, rootstock breeding, salinity, alkalinity, drought, tolerance.
Environmental stresses play crucial roles in the productivity, survival and reproductive biology of plants as well as crops (Redondo-Gómez 2013). Biotic and abiotic stresses, including drought, extreme temperature, scarcity of water, reducing quality of irrigation water and salinity in soil and water are problems which are becoming really acute (Flowers 2004). These stresses can severely affect growth and development of both rootstocks and/ or scions, thus reducing both fruit production and fruit quality. To overcome these stresses only few scientific approaches are available, one by making use of certain tolerant varieties/rootstocks or by the use of pesticides etc. But there are very few tolerant varieties is available to overcome abiotic stresses and use of pesticides is harmful for human as well as soil health....