‘Kordia’ and ‘Regina’ sweet cherry: bearing potential and fruiting shoots distribution as affected by rootstock genotype

Depending on their tendency to set fruit, sweet cherry cultivars require different management approaches.
In order to successfully complete the canopy training in young trees and at the same time produce a satisfactory early yield, we have to adjust the canopy training process to the fruiting potential of the particular rootstock/cultivar combination.
The predisposition to form basal flower buds on 1-year-old shoots and fruiting spurs differ between cultivars and this fruiting habit as well as flower number per bud can be significantly altered further by rootstock genotype.
Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the fruiting potential, of ‘Kordia’ and ‘Regina’ sweet cherries, grafted onto seven different rootstock genotypes: ‘Gisela 5’, ‘Gisela 6’, ‘MaxMa 14’, ‘Cab 6P’, ‘Oblačinska’ sour cherry, ‘Colt’ and Mahaleb.
The research was conducted in two consecutive years, 2019 and 2020 (3^rd and 4^th leaf). Each rootstock/cultivar combination was examined for: trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA), number of fruiting spurs on a 2- and 3-year-old fruiting branch, number and length of 1-year-old-shoots on a 2-year-old fruiting branch, number of flower buds per fruiting spur and 1-year-old shoots, and the number of flowers from the flower buds.
Both cultivars responded similarly in some and differently with other rootstock combinations regarding the studied parameters.
According to the TCSA, the most vigorous rootstocks used in both cultivars were ‘Colt’ and Mahaleb.
The modulating effect of the rootstock was most evident in the 3^rd leaf, on the number of flower buds per 1-year-old shoot.
The lowest values for this parameter for both cultivars was noted with ‘Colt’. With 0.4 buds in ‘Kordia’ and 1.1 buds in ‘Regina’. The highest floral bud number in ‘Kordia’ was noted with ‘Gisela 6’, with 5.7 buds, and with with ‘Gisela 5’ and ‘Regina’, with 4.1 buds.

IV International Symposium on Horticulture in Europe – SHE2021

N. Saraginovski, M. Kiprijanovski

vigour, floral induction, fruiting behavior, fruiting spur, yield potential, orchard management, precocity

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1327.13