Growing the sweet cherry on different vigor rootstocks, such as Colt and Gisela 5, in a high-density orchard, causes differences in growth and productivity and later imposes the need to change the growing system including pruning, flower and fruit thinning, irrigation and fertilization. In the present research, four sweet cherry cultivars (Summit, Kordia, Lapins and Regina) grafted on Colt and Gisela 5 rootstocks were assessed for morphological traits and productivity. The parameters investigated were: vegetative growth, bearing potential, fruit set, precocity, productivity, fruit growth habit and quality attributes. Compared to Colt, the trees on Gisela 5 had smaller TCSA and the length of two-year-old branches, in the fifth season after planting. Trees on Gisela 5 had a higher number of flower buds per may bouquet compared to Colt, which confirms that bearing potential is highly affected by the rootstock. Growing the sweet cherries on Gisela 5 induced a higher fruit setting in all cultivars except in Kordia. Fruit physical attributes were affected by the cultivar, growing system and experimental year. For all tested cultivars, the yield per tree was significantly lower on Colt compared to Gisela 5. Gisela 5 performed better than Colt, which suggests that Gisela 5 should be used as a rootstock in high density sweet cherry production systems.
During the cold storage of sweet cherry, severe losses can occur due to the water loss, phytopathogenic fungi and physiological disorders. The aim of this research was to assess the effects of treatments with NAA (α-naphthaleneacetic acid), BA (6-benzyladenine), and GA3 (gibberellic acid) on fruit quality at harvest and after 21 days of storage under two regimes, including 0°C, RH (relative humidity) 90% and 3°C, RH 70%, and after additional shelf life exposure. Sweet cherry cultivars – ‘Summit’, ‘Kordia’ and ‘Regina’ – were treated with bioregulators at the end of flowering. NAA significantly increased the fruit weight at harvest compared to the control in all cultivars assessed. BA stimulated the fruit growth in ‘Kordia’ and ‘Regina’, while it was ineffective in ‘Summit’. GA3 caused significant increase in fruit weight by 8.3% in ‘Kordia’ only. Moreover, BA and GA3 induced a higher firmness of fruits at harvest. Weight loss of fruits during storage at 0°C, RH 90%, was increased with NAA and reduced with GA3 in ‘Regina’ only. BA and GA3 reduced the weight loss of sweet cherry fruits stored at 3°C, RH 70%. Bioregulator treatments increased TA (titratable acidity) in fruits at harvest, while the effects on TA during storage were variable depending on the cultivar. ‘Summit’ had the highest sensitivity to storage fruit rot. BA and GA3 decreased the disease occurrence on fruits stored at 0°C in ‘Summit’ and ‘Kordia’.
Application of plant growth regulators (PGRs) in apricot orchards is a common practice with a goal of improving yield and/or quality of fruits at harvest. However, the question of whether such treatment alters postharvest properties is seldom answered. The effects of an early application of PGRs on postharvest changes on apricots were investigated on cultivar NS-4, grown on Myrobalan rootstock with blackthorn interstock in a 5-year-old orchard. PGR treatments included 50 and 100 ppm of benzyladenine (BA) and 200 ppm of gibberellic acid (GA3), which were applied when the green ovary was surrounded by dying a sepal crown, at the stage where sepals beginning to fall. Apricots at the stage of commercial ripeness were used for the postharvest experiments. Analysis was performed at harvest, after 21 days of cold storage (at 1 ± 1 °C and 80 ± 10% RH), and after 3 days of shelf life (24 ± 2 °C). At harvest, significant differences were observed between treated and untreated fruits regarding flesh firmness, color, ethylene production and respiration rate, flavonoid, carotenoid and citric acid content, while application of BA100 changed TA and TSS. Prolonged cold storage reduced the initial differences in firmness, respiration rate, flavonoid and carotenoid contents, but new differences in fructose, malic and succinic acid contents began to appear. Shelf life reduced the difference in citric acid, but differences in TA, TSS, phenol and flavonoid content appeared. There is no difference in the sensory properties of treated and non-treated fruit after cold storage and shelf life.
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