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ABSTRACT: Diversification of rootstock varieties, with consequent reduction in phytosanitary risks, has great importance to the sustainability of citrus cultivation in the south of Brazil. This study evaluated the performance of 42 rootstocks in the nursery phase to generate ‘Valencia Late’ sweet orange seedlings. Therefore, nucellar seedlings from the rootstocks under study were analyzed in relation to plant height, stem diameter, mortality rate and percentage of bud set after grafting. The experimental design was completely randomized with four replications of 20 sample units. Not adapted genotypes had high mortality rates, and the ones of both hybrids LCR x CTSW - 009 and LVK x LCR - 038 were 100% and 90%, respectively. Other 13 genotypes had mortality rates above 30%, and ‘Sunki’ mandarin was the female genitor of ten of them. ‘Swingle’ citrumelo was the rootstock with the highest development (plant height and stem diameter), associated with low mortality rate. In relation to the other rootstocks, the best results were the fast grafting diameter, associated with low mortality rate obtained by hybrids HTR - 053, LRF x (LCR x TR) - 005, CLEO x TRBN - 245, CLEO x TRSW - 287, and citrandarins ‘Indio’, ‘Riverside’ and ‘San Diego’, as well as Trifoliate orange and ‘Rangpur’ lime. In addition to Trifoliate orange, which is widely used in Rio Grande do Sul, these rootstocks have great potential in citriculture in the south of Brazil.