ISHS Acta Horticulturae 732: VIII International Symposium on Canopy, Rootstocks and Environmental Physiology in Orchard Systems
EARLY PERFORMANCE OF 'GOLDEN DELICIOUS' APPLE TREES ON FOUR ROOTSTOCKS |
| Authors: | E. Jadczuk, A. Pietranek, A. Sadowski |
| Keywords: | tree-vigour, trunk-cross-sectional-area, cumulative-yield, cropping-efficiency, fruit-size, firmness, soluble solids |
| Abstract:
The experiment was established in spring 2001. Two-year-old “knip-boom” 'Golden Delicious' apple trees on four different rootstocks (M.9 EMLA, M.27, P22 and PB-4) were planted on a fertile, alluvial silty loam soil. Trees on the standard dwarfing M.9 EMLA were spaced at 3.0 x 1.5 m (2222 trees per ha), while on the other rootstocks, assumed as superdwarfing, spacing was 3.0 x 1.0 m (3333 trees per ha). At planting, trees on P22 were the largest. In the orchard, trees grafted on M.9 EMLA manifested the most vigorous growth, surpassing in vigour those on P22. The lowest vigour was recorded in trees on PB-4 and M.27. Assuming the size of trees on M.9 EMLA as 100%, trees on P22 reached, after three years, 49% of the size of M.9EMLA, M.27 reached 41% of the size and PB-4 reached 39% of the size. The first yield was harvested in the second year after planting (2002) and was the highest on P22; among the other rootstocks, no significant differences were noted. In the next year (2003), yield per tree was roughly proportional to the tree size. The highest yield per tree in 2003 and for two years (2002-2003) was obtained from trees grafted on M.9 EMLA and the lowest from trees on PB-4. However, the cropping efficiency coefficient was the highest for trees on P22 and M.27 and the lowest for those on M.9 EMLA. No significant differences in mean fruit mass, firmness or soluble solids, due to rootstock, were noted. | |
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