Lincoln Cherry Rootstock Planting Density and Crop Load Management

The patent changes the key parameter of rootstock dwarfing intensity by breeding a new rootstock variety with intermediate dwarfing characteristics. Instead of using highly dwarfing rootstocks that cause crop load problems, the Lincoln rootstock provides moderate size reduction while maintaining balanced crop load management, thus resolving the contradiction between planting density and crop load issues.

The patent modifies the precocity parameter by selecting for intermediate precocity in the Lincoln rootstock. This avoids the extreme precocity of other rootstocks that leads to uncontrolled tree size, while still enabling relatively early bearing. The balance achieved resolves the contradiction between precocity and tree size control.

The patent employs vegetative propagation (copying) through cuttings and meristem culture to produce genetically identical liners from the Lincoln rootstock. This copying process ensures that all propagated plants are true-to-type and uniform in characteristics, while still using standard nursery propagation practices that maintain ease of production. The copying principle resolves the contradiction between ease of propagation and uniformity.