Evaluation of some dwarf apple rootstocks

Abstract

23New apple orchards are planted using trees on dwarf or semi-dwarf clonal rootstocks. Among them, M 9 is the most common in the Western and Central European countries. At the present time there are many clones of this rootstock. The new clones of M 9 named Pajam 1 and Pajam 2 were selected in France (MASSERON 1986). Rootstocks Jork 9 (FABY et al. 1986), Burgmer 719, 751, 756, 984 (BAAB 1998, and Supporter 1, 2, 3, 4 (FISCHER 1997), were launched in Germany. Clones T 337, T 338, T 339, and F 56 were propagated in the Netherlands, and KL 19 and KL 29 in Belgium. A range of new rootstocks has also been bred in Poland (JAKUBOWSKI, ZAGAJA 2000).Currently there is no experience with most of these rootstocks in the Czech Republic. The aim of this work was to test some of the new rootstocks under the climatic and soil conditions of this country, and to specify their influence on the growth and bearing of apple cultivars presently being widely grown here. MATERIAL AND METHODSAn experimental orchard was established in the Research and Breeding Institute of Pomology at Holovousy in autumn 1990. The rootstocks M 9, M 27, Jork 9, Pajam 1, Pajam 2, J-TE-E, J-TE-F, J-TE-G, and J-OH-A were tested using scion cultivars Golden Delicious, Gloster and Melrose. Rootstocks and cultivars had a virus-tested status. Trees were planted at a spacing of 4.5 m × 2.3 m and were trained as a slender spindle. The experiment was arranged in a randomised block design with five replications of three trees per plot. The driveways were managed as mown grass. Herbicide strips (1.5 m wide) were placed in the rows of trees. Insect and disease control and fertilization were based on local recommendations for intensive commercial orchards.The following characteristics were recorded annually: trunk circumference, yield (kg/tree) and number of root suckers (per tree). Root suckers were removed on counting. Using the data collected, the following traits were calculated: trunk cross-section area (cm 2 ) and yield efficiency (kg/cm 2 ). The results were further measured statistically by the analysis of variance. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONAmong the cultivars tested, Golden Delicious had the highest yields per tree on Pajam 2 and Jork 9 ( Table 1). The lowest yield of the cultivar was observed on the standard rootstock M 9. The yield efficiency was highest on Jork 9. On the contrary, trees of Golden Delicious on M 9 were the poorest in their yield efficiency. The growth vigour of the cultivar was highest on Pajam 2. Suckering of Golden Delicious was low on all rootstocks.The characteristics of Gloster are listed in Table 2. The accumulated yield during the period 1991-2000 was highest on Jork 9. The yield efficiency was also best on this rootstock. Trees of the cultivar on M 9 were also good croppers. On the contrary, the lowest yields were observed in trees on J-TE-E and J-OH-A. However, they had the weakest vigour and a high yield efficiency. Rootstocks Jork 9, Pajam 2, and M 9 were similar in their growth vigour. Suckering was highest on J-OH-A.In the case of...

Genetic Diversity of 41 Apple Rootstocks Based on Simple Sequence Repeat Markers

“…Many dwarf and semidwarf apple rootstocks have been developed since the 1960s. For example, the Malling (M) and Malling Merton (MM) series were developed by the East Malling Experiment Station, U.K. (Kamboj et al, 1999); the Polish (P) series was selected by the Horticulture Institute, Poland (Zagaja, 1980); and the Jork (J) series from Germany (Kosina, 2002), the Ottawa (O) series from Canada (Nelson, 1976), the Budagovski (B) series from Russia (Seemüller et al, 2008), and the Mark and Cornell-Geneva (CG) series from the United States (Norelli et al, 2003). Apple dwarf rootstock breeding has been steadily increasing since the introduction of M and MM series in the 1960s to 1980s from the United Kingdom.…”