ISHS Acta Horticulturae 732: VIII International Symposium on Canopy, Rootstocks and Environmental Physiology in Orchard Systems
INFLUENCE OF ROOTSTOCKS ON GROWTH, YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF 'REDKROFT' APPLE TREES |
| Authors: | E. Jadczuk, A. Pietranek, A. Sadowski |
| Keywords: | TCSA, cumulative-yield, cropping-efficiency, fruit size, firmness, soluble solids |
| Abstract:
In autumn 1999, an experiment was set up at the Warsaw-Wilanów Experiment Station, situated in Central Poland, on a fertile, silty loam alluvial soil. One-year-old, branched 'Redcroft' maiden trees, budded on 13 rootstocks at a height of 15 cm, were planted 5 cm deeper than in the nursery. Between-row spacing was 3 m. The in-row spacing depended on the expected vigour induced by a rootstock and varied from 1.0 m for trees on P61, P63, PB-4, M.27, P16, P64, B491, P65 to 1.2 m for trees on P16 and B146 and 1.5 m on M.9-EMLA, Arm 18, B7-35, J-TE-E. After four years (spring 2004), the smallest tree size, indicated by TCSA, was noted on P61 and P63, followed by those on P16, P64, PB-4, B491 and M.9-EMLA. The largest were trees on J-TE-E, B7-35, P65 and Arm 18. The highest yield per tree for three cropping seasons (2001-2003) was recorded from trees budded on P65, followed by those on B491, Arm 18 and M.9 EMLA. The lowest yields were obtained from trees on J-TE-E, P16 and B7-35. Cumulative yield calculated per ha was also the highest on P65 and B491. The cumulative cropping efficiency coefficient, CEC, was the highest for P63, B491, P61 and PB-4. Trees on J-TE-E and on B7-35 showed the lowest CEC. The latter two rootstocks have been considered as too vigorous for plantings on fertile soils. Under these conditions, B491 and P65 may serve as alternatives to M.9 for cultivars of medium vigour, such as ‘Redkroft’. Some differences in mean fruit mass were noted in 2003 only; however, fruits from trees on all studied rootstocks were large. | |
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