Effects of different rootstocks on the essential oil composition in the peel and leaf of rio red grapefruit

TThe use of rootstocks in citrus production is an increasingly common in practice. The selection of the appropriate rootstock is important in many aspects such as the adaptation of the variety to environmental conditions, growth, fruit set, flowering, fruit yield and fruit quality. In the present study, essential oil yields and components determined in the peels and leaves of Rio Red grapefruit grafted onto 7 different citrus rootstocks were compared. While essential oil yields from the peels of rootstocks were identified ranged between 0.5% and 1.5%, measurements could not be made due to trace amounts in the leaves. The essential oil composition was characterized using GC-MS, with limonene being the main identified compound in all the peels with 93.39 and 95.44% in Carrizo citrange and Volkameriana, respectively. However, in the leaves of rootstocks, besides limonene, major compounds were changed. In the leaves of Brazilian sour orange, β-sinensal was detected at significantly higher ratio (33.53%), sabinene was found at high ratios in Smooth Flat Seville sour orange (27.62%).