ISHS Acta Horticulturae 701: XII International Symposium on Apricot Culture and Decline
PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS ON THE BIOLOGICAL AND HORTICULTURAL BEHAVIOUR OF DIFFERENT APRICOT ROOTSTOCKS |
| Authors: | F. Pennone, V. Abbate |
| Keywords: | Prunus armeniaca, orchard behaviour |
| Abstract:
Although several new apricot rootstocks have been introduced so far, there still is a lack of rootstocks well adapted to the different climatic conditions and soils. Specific stock scion environment combinations are to be evaluated each time. The following trial was carried out to assess the growth and productive behaviour of an apricot cultivar grafted into ten different rootstocks. The San Castrese cultivar was grafted into the following rootstocks: P. armeniaca seedlings, 'PS A5', 'Montclar', 'Rubira', 'Citation' (Zaipime), 'Ishtara' (Ferciana), 'Julior' (Ferdor), 'Torinel' (Avifel), 'Myrobalan B', 'Myrobalan 29C'. In 1995, 15 scions for each rootstock were planted at a distance of 5x5 metres according to a randomized block design with single tree plots. The following traits were recorded: trunk circumference, height, width and tickness of the canopy, pruning wood weight, suckering, yield per tree, average fruit weight and total sugar content; time of flowering and harvest. After 6 years experiment, the most vigorous trees (trunk cross-sectional area) were those on 'Montclar', followed by those on 'Rubira', 'Myrobalan 29 C' and 'Myrobalan B'. Trees on Torinel, followed by 'Ishtara' and 'PS A5', appeared the smallest of all in the experiment. The pruning wood weight turned to be greater in 'Montclar' and 'Rubira'. Cumulative yields (1997-2000) were largest in 'Montclar', followed by 'Citation' and 'Rubira', smallest in 'Torinel', 'Myrobalan 29C' and 'Ishtara'. Cumulative yield efficiency as expressed as a ratio of cumulative yield per tree to trunk cross sectional area for 2000, was greatest in 'Citation' and 'Montclar', smallest in 'Myrobalan 29C', 'Myrobalan B' and 'Torinel ®' 'Avifel' (cov). Citation showed to have a bad grafting compatibility: a neckline at graft union was observed on several trees. The data from these rootstocks suggest that 'Montclar' and 'Rubira' are the most promising for orchard productivity with 'San Castrese' apricot cultivar in Campania. | |
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