DRIP IRRIGATION AND WOODCHIP MULCH INFLUENCE ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF YOUNG SOUR CHERRIES

Optimal soil moisture which provides sufficient and balanced vegetative growth for sour cherries is a precondition of high yields.
In order to investigate the influence of drip irrigation and woodchip mulch on sour cherries, the trial was established at the Latvia State Institute of Fruit-Growing in 2007. The cultivars ‘Bulatnikovskaya’, ‘Desertnaya Morozovoi’, ‘Latvijas Zemais’, ‘Orlica’, ‘Shokolad-nica’, ‘Tamaris’, and ‘Zentenes’ were planted in the plots with drip irrigation and control.
Trunk circumference, canopy volume, the amount of spurs and yield per tree were measured.
The data were summarized from 2007 to 2011. Drip irrigation and woodchip mulch advanced vegetative growth.
Trunk growth increased significantly and a similar tendency was observed for canopy growth.
Spur proportion was not changed by soil moisture treatments.
Yield of the cultivars ‘Bulatnikovskaya’, ‘Orlica’, ‘Tamaris’ and ‘Zentenes’ was more responsive to drip irrigation.
The yield in drip irrigation treatment was significantly higher for these cultivars in 2011. The cultivars ‘Bulatnikovskaya’ and ‘Tamaris’ had higher yield efficiency than the other cultivars.
There was a significant correlation between canopy volume and yield per tree for the cultivars ‘Bulatnikovskaya’ and ‘Tamaris’.

VII International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops

D. Feldmane

trunk circumference, canopy volume, spurs

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2014.1038.66