ROOTSTOCK EFFECTS ON PEACH REPLANTING ; A TEN YEARS TRIAL

Data are provided on 10 years growth and cropping of Cresthaven grafted on seedling and a peach rootstock selection (GF 305), prune clones (S. Julien GF 655/2, Damas GF 1869, INRA GF 43, Brompton) and hybrid Almond x Peach (GF 677).

Before planting, soil, which was found to be free from nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.), was partly fumigated.

The results showed a better growth of plants in fumigated soil for the first 3 years; at the 4th year a trend inversion began and currently only not fumigated plants look good or still acceptable.

Rootstocks induced the following differences:

• root suckering (rate 1 to 10): Damas (10); S.Julien (6); Brompton (2); GF 43 (1); Peach and GF 677 (0)
• tree growth (rate 1 to 10): GF 677 and Peach (9.2); GF 43 (9.0); Brompton (8.4); Damas (7.8); S. Julien (7.2)
• visual assessment at the end of trial (rate 1 to 10): Peach (9.3); GF 677 (9.1); Brompton (8.1); GF 43 (7.2); Damas (7.2); S. Julien (6.2)
• yield: the best yields were given by GF 677 and S. Julien; followed by Brompton and Peach; last Damas and GF 43
• yielding efficiency (yield/area of ground covered by tree): the best results were those of GF 677, Brompton and S. Julien; followed by Peach and GF 43; last Damas
• fruit size: Peach (181 g), GF 43 (178), GF 677 (177), Brompton (173), S.Julien (169), Damas (154).

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