Cleopatra mandarin
Cleopatra is a small-fruited mandarin which has been used as a rootstock for many years. It has not been used extensively in WA. It is the most salt- and lime-tolerant of the commercially available stocks.
Trees are slow growing in the nursery. Early production tends to be poor, with trees taking a long time to settle into cropping.
Fruit quality is good but small fruit size has been an issue with some varieties. Trees perform well on both heavy and light soils, with best results on loam. Cleopatra is tristeza- and exocortis-tolerant and moderately susceptible to phytophthora root and collar rots. It is susceptible to citrus nematodes and not generally recommended for replant sites.
Compatibility
No compatibility problems have been reported and it is considered a good stock for most mandarin varieties.
Local experience
This stock has rarely been used in WA and very little local information is available. In a Newhall navel rootstock demonstration block at Bindoon, small fruit size was observed in the first few seasons. A good yield of small to medium-sized fruit was achieved in 2012 and size was better again in 2013.