Rootstocks are becoming more widely used in South Australia. That’s according to information from the South Australian Vineyard Register of all vineyard plantings of 0.5 hectares or more, which Vinehealth Australia has maintained for 125 years.
Rootstock choice may be driven by yield, vigour, soil pH, salinity tolerance, nematode tolerance, irrigation requirement or soil draining properties, as well as phylloxera prevention/tolerance. The Wine Australia Grapevine rootstock selector tool is a valuable resource in determining the best rootstock for your vineyard.
The changing trends of rootstock choice in South Australia is shown in Table 1. This shows own rooted vines have been slowly declining in area since 2012, however, own rooted vines remain the most widely planted grapevines in South Australia at 76%.
Conversely, grafted rootstocks have been increasing in use, from 15,890 hectares of rootstocks in 2012 to 18,130 hectares of rootstocks in 2024.
Some rootstocks have increased rapidly over the 12 years of reporting with 110 Richter increasing by 2.6 times off a low base, and 1103 Paulsen, 101-14 MGt and 140 Ruggeri all increasing 1.2-1.4 times. Some rootstocks have declined in use, with K51-32, Kober 5BB (Teleki 5A), K51-40, and Schwarzmann all showing small declines.
Table 1. Area planted to own roots and rootstocks in South Australia in 2012, 2018 and 2024 in vineyards of 0.5 hectares or more.
| Rootstock | 2012 | 2018 | 2024 |
| Own Roots | 60,579 | 58,610 | 56,616 |
| Ramsey | 4,988 | 5,020 | 5,098 |
| 1103 Paulsen | 3,142 | 3,722 | 4,251 |
| 101-14 MGt | 1,694 | 1,720 | 1,957 |
| 140 Ruggeri | 1,529 | 1,810 | 1,918 |
| Schwarzmann | 1,025 | 1,040 | 967 |
| 110 Richter | 351 | 553 | 906 |
| K51-40 | 680 | 643 | 615 |
| Teleki 5C | 534 | 564 | 562 |
| Kober 5BB (Teleki 5A) | 455 | 402 | 370 |
| K51-32 | 247 | 221 | 194 |
| Rest | 295 | 335 | 356 |
| Unknown Rootstock Type | 950 | 915 | 936 |
| Grand Total | 76,468 | 75,555 | 74,745 |
| % Own Roots of Total | 79% | 78% | 76% |
The increase in rootstock plantings is welcomed from a phylloxera preparedness perspective. If phylloxera is found in South Australia, vineyards planted on phylloxera resistant/tolerant rootstocks will have a much better chance of survival. This should be part of your long-term vineyard sustainability strategy.
Other considerations such as improved yield with decreasing water availability that can be achieved with grafted rootstocks are driving rootstock plantings in the state.