Significance Statement
The manuscript describes the transfer of siRNA-mediated resistance to an
important virus from resistant transgenic plum rootstocks to a wild type
apricot scion. There are contradictory results regarding transfer of
resistance from rootstock to scion both in herbaceous and woody plants,
so we need to gain knowledge on the bases of this mechanism. This
approach would allow to have non-transgenic resistant cultivars,
avoiding spread of the transgene through pollen (since rootstock are not
allowed to flower), and eliminate concerns about eating transgenic
fruits, since the apricot grafted onto these rootstocks do not have
foreign DNA. Finally, is a very useful strategy when the interest in
introducing resistance is on recalcitrant to transformation cultivars or
species.