ISHS Acta Horticulturae 658: I International Symposium on Rootstocks for Deciduous Fruit Tree Species
CHERRY ROOTSTOCK BREEDING AT THE DEPARTMENT OF FRUIT SCIENCE, BUDAPEST |
| Author: | K. Hrotkó |
| Keywords: | clonal, ground cherry, growth vigour, inbreeding, P. mahaleb cherry, productivity, seed tree, seedling |
| Abstract:
Cherry rootstock breeding started at the Department of Fruit Science, SSU Budapest, in the late 1950s and the activity can be divided into three main stages. In the first stage, the activity was focused on the collection of native mahaleb cherry (Prunus mahaleb L.) varieties lead by L. Sebok. After evaluation in the nursery and orchard tests, four promising rootstock cultivars have been selected from this material: ’Korponay’ used as self-fertile seed tree and its seedlings are recommended for sour cherries. The mahaleb varieties ’Bogdány’ (vigorous), ’Egervár’ and ’Magyar’ (medium vigour) are propagated by cuttings. The next project started in 1979 with the aim of selecting self-fertile mahaleb seed trees producing homogeneous seedling populations with reduced vigour. Inbred populations from isolated flowering self-fertile trees were produced and planted out in 1980. The inbreeding of ’Korponay’, a self-fertile P. mahaleb variety, resulted in specimens with different fruit colour (yellow, red, black), fruit shape and size. From among them, self-fertile trees were selected with various growth characteristics. Seedlings of these self-fertile mother trees (S2 population) were tested in a seedbed and showed homogeneous phenotypical characteristics as liners in the nursery. As a rootstock for ’Érdi bőtermő’ sour cherry in the orchard, most of the S2 lines proved to be less vigorous in comparison to the S1 populations. ’Érdi bőtermő’ trees budded on certain S2 lines in the orchard are more productive than those on S1 (’Korponay’ seedling). The characteristics of the S2 generation as seed trees were studied as well. We expect to obtain morphologically homogeneous seedling populations with different growth vigour and good productivity in the later inbred generations. In the last couple of decades the research activity concerning ground cherry and its hybrids has resulted in the production of dwarfing rootstocks. Prunus fruticosa Pall. hybrids from the natural flora of Hungary were collected and artificial hybrids were created between P. fruticosa and mahaleb cherry. Most of them are in the initial test stage; only one of them, which is a dwarfing rootstock for sweet cherry named ‘Prob’, is at the pre-registration stage. By the screening of new hybrids, the medium vigorous or semi-dwarfing and precocious rootstocks produced, seem to be promising for the cherry industry. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
