ISHS Acta Horticulturae 800: X International Pear Symposium
PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF PEAR ROOTSTOCK AND COMPETITIVE ORCHARD SYSTEMS TRIALS |
| Authors: | J. Turner, C.F. Seavert, T. Auvil |
| Keywords: | Horner, rootstock, Pyrus communis, high density, training systems, bench graft |
| Abstract:
In the pursuit of profitability, there is a need to transition from conventional pear orchard systems (815 trees/ha) to higher densities (2241+ trees/ha) that facilitate pedestrian orchards and/or mechanical platforms for orchard maintenance and harvesting. Several trials are underway at the Mid Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center to screen for a potentially dwarfing rootstock from the Horner series (428 clones) and from rootstocks developed elsewhere in the world. A regional effort in the Pacific Northwest is underway to pre-screen newly developed rootstocks for dwarfing potential and precocity and re-engineer orchard training systems to accommodate tighter spacing and facilitate mechanical platforms. The Horner selections were planted in three separate trials in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Each trial will be pre-screened over a six-year period. Branch angles, tree size, precocity and fruit quality will be measured and clones will be chosen to augment the performance of high density systems. These attributes must satisfy the parameters for inclusion into high-density orchards. The Competitive Orchard System (COS) block was planted in 2006, at a spacing of 1.2 x 3.6 m (2241 trees/ha). The goals are very precise for COS; the block must develop a mature fruiting canopy by the third leaf, yet be a manageable canopy with adequate light infiltration. It is important to minimize tree cost as the tree numbers necessary for high-density systems increase. COS contains nursery finished stock, as well as plant-in-place rootstocks that were budded in the summer of 2006, and bench-grafted rootstock from the spring of 2006. | |
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