PEACH AND NECTARINE MEADOW ORCHARD IN TEMPERATE CLIMATES

Trees, 1x1 m spaced, were grown according to the following systems: (a) "alternate-year-bearing system", achieved by regenerating the full canopy every second year; (b) "alternate-branch-bearing system", achieved by regenerating half a Y-shaped tree every year; (c) "annual-bearing system", achieved by training trees to a central leader and controlling tree growth with light pruning and Paclobutrazol applications.

The following treatments were added for comparison: 1x2, 1x4 and 2x4 m spacings, with trees trained to a central leader.

Three peach cultivars ("Maravilha", "Suncrest" and "San Pedro") and three nectarines ("Armking," "Weinberger" and "Nectaross") were tested for adaptability to high planting density.

The orchard was planted in springtime 1989 with own-rooted micropropagated trees.

A good crop was reached only in the third year even in the closest spacings, and this was likely due to the use of micropropagated material.

Increasing planting density from 1250 to 2500 trees/ha increased yield up to 30%, whereas further intensification up to 5000 trees/ha did not improve the yield, the greater number of trees being counterbalanced by a low number of flower buds on the first shoots formed during the growing season.

Among the meadow orchard systems tested, only the "annual-bearing system" reached a satisfactory production.

"Maravilha" and "Suncrest" performed better than any other cultivar as far as early cropping, yield, and fruit size are concerned.

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