PPEM Seminar Series: Jean Sabety (Ph.D. Student; Cornell)

Abstract: Root systems are critical to orchard productivity and resilience, yet their size and structure remain poorly characterized in modern high-density apple (Malus x domestica) plantings. In trees and other perennial species, roots are especially important due to their long lifespan and exposure to diverse stresses over many years. We examined root architectural traits of two commercially important apple rootstocks (G.935 and M.9Nic29) in a high-density orchard, grafted either to 'Honeycrisp' or self-grafted. Each rootstock displayed distinct root architectural and growth patterns over time. Additionally, G.935 root architecture and growth were significantly altered when grafted to 'Honeycrisp', whereas M.9Nic29 showed no such difference. Our results also indicate the potential for root-root interactions in high-density orchards. These findings provide insights into the root systems of apple trees in a high-density orchard and demonstrate that scion-rootstock interactions can primarily drive root system growth under intense planting systems. 

Bio: Jean Sabety is a fifth year PhD Candidate in Plant Pathology at Cornell University where she studies the relationship between root system architecture and rootstock genetics and fire blight susceptibility in apple in Dr. Awais Khan’s lab. She earned her bachelor’s in biology at UC Davis where she worked on characterizing the regulatory domains of transcriptional repressors under Dr. Patrick Shih.