Influence of stock on the early tree growth, yield and fruit quality traits of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.)

Abstract

This experiment was conducted in Cacak region (Western Serbia) in 2008 to determine the effects of Myrobalan rootstock (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.) and Blackthorn interstock (P. spinosa L.) on the tree growth, productivity and fruit quality traits of five apricot cultivars (P. armeniaca L.) grown under dry, sandy-loam and acidic soil conditions. The orchard established in 2007 at a 5.5 m × 3 m planting distance. The results showed that apricots grafted on Myrobalan appears to induce higher tree growth, yield (YI), cumulative yield (CY) and fruit weight (FW) when compared with the Blackthorn. Blackthorn showed a tendency to reduce a high vigour of apricot trees on Myrobalan, YI and fruit size. This interstock induced higher soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio (SS/TA ratio or RI) than Myrobalan. These results confirms the better adaptation of Myrobalan rootstock to dry, sandyloam and acidic soil than Blackthorn interstock.

Segregation of blackberry cultivars based on the fruit physico-chemical attributes

“…Soil and weather characteristics during experimental period (2009 and 2010) were similar to data previously described by Milosevic et al (2011). Six introduced cultivars ('Black Satin', 'Dirksen Thornless', 'Chester Thornless', 'Thornfree', 'Loch Ness', 'Navaho') and one Serbian cultivar ('Čačanska Bestrna') used as plant material.…”

Yield and Some Pomological Characteristics of Organically Grown &ldquo;Alyanak&rdquo; and &ldquo;Hasanbey&rdquo; Apricots (<em>Prunus armeniaca</em> L.)

“…The data we obtained in pH, TA and TSS in our study are matching to the values reported by many researchers in previous studies for both organic cultivation and conventional apricots (3,4,29,34,23,24).…”

“…The differences in years and interactions (cultivar x years) were not statistically significant, but the differences between the varieties were significant (P≤0.01). The yield values obtained in our study were higher than those reported in the literature (3,23,31,38). This suggests that in the highland climate, there is no reduction in the yield of apricots with organic farming and even positive effects.…”

Growth, phenology and fruit set of Prunus armeniaca L. (cv. Ninfa) grafted on two rootstocks in organic and conventional management

“…Rootstocks are essential to optimize the anchorage to the ground, for intake of water and nutrients, to resist or tolerate soil pathogens and may also affect other trees and fruit characteristics such as vigour, flowering, fruit size or sugar content, among others (Hernández et al 2010;Milosevic et al 2011;Sitarek, Bartosiewicz 2011). Rootstocks may also significantly determine the response to organic farming system in which fertilization is based solely on the input of organic fertilizers, especially manure and groundcovers with legumes.…”