I noticed that Viron and others had fought voles for years. Geneva now has an anti-vole rootstock, called novole. Cute name, huh?
John S
PDX OR

APPLE ROOTSTOCKS
Novole
SIZE CLASS 10
Novole

Pedigree
A selection of Malus prunifolia

Precocity
Poor, similar to seedling
Productivity
Poor, similar to seedling, but more uniform
Scion Fruit Size

Scion Fruit Quality
Anchorage
Good, usually free standing
Fire blight
Resistant
Crown & Root Rots

Woolly Apple Aphid

Powdery Mildew

Hardiness (Midwinter)

Bud Break
Leaf Fall
Suckering
Heavy
Burrknots

Stoolbed Performance
Excellent
Virus hypersensitivities
None noted, further testing required
Experience
Novole has been planted in North America in a few small trial plots, and in some smaller commercial orchards.
Sources
Cummins
Strains
Novole appears to have several strains, or perhaps to be a mixture of genotypes, all are derived from Malus prunifolia and all are full sized trees.
Observations, suspicions, history
Novole is distasteful to meadow voles, and the trees rarely suffer damage from winter feeding. Novole may be a good choice for some low input production systems.

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