wortelstokreserve

Wortelstokreserve is a term used in horticulture and botany to describe the stored energy and nutrients accumulated in a plant's rootstock—the below-ground part of a perennial plant from which shoots regrow. It includes carbohydrate reserves in storage tissues of the root crown, tuberous roots, or rhizomes. The concept is important for plants with seasonal growth or regrowth after damage.

The reserves are primarily carbohydrates, mainly starch and soluble sugars such as sucrose, glucose, and fructans, but may also include lipids and proteins. Storage tissue is typically parenchyma cells in the cortex or pith of the rootstock or in specialized tuberous roots. The exact composition varies among species and growth forms.

Functionally, these reserves support sprouting and regrowth after dormancy, regeneration after pruning, and survival during unfavorable conditions such as drought or frost. They enable early leafing and flowering before photosynthetic capacity is fully restored. The size of the rootstock reserve reflects the plant's prior growth and resource availability.

Factors influencing the size of wortelstokreserves include species, plant age, season, light, temperature, nutrition, and water status. In cultivation, practices that enhance photosynthesis during the season, appropriate harvest timing, and avoiding excessive depletion help maintain or build reserves. For storage crops with tuberous rootstocks, post-harvest handling and storage conditions affect reserve longevity.

In research and breeding contexts, rootstock reserves can serve as indicators of vigor and storage capacity, with measurements based on carbohydrate analysis or imaging techniques; routine assessment is typically limited to specialized settings.