Articles
Effects of rootstocks on almond trees grown in marginal boron conditions
Article number
1406_36
Pages
241 – 248
Language
English
Abstract
High levels of boron in the soil and water have historically limited the areas of the cultivation and use of water resources in production of almonds (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb) in California’s Central Valley.
To assess the potential of rootstocks to mitigate scion boron stress, Prunus rootstocks with a variety of genetic background were planted and compared with the then-commonly planted ‘Lovell®’ peach (P. persica): four peach-almond hybrids (‘Hansen 536®’, Nickels®, ‘FxA®’ and ‘Brights 5®), one Prunus cerasifera × almond hybrid (‘Krymsk 86®’), one Prunus cerasifera × peach hybrid (‘Rootpac-R®’), and one complex hybrid of almond, peach, P. cerasifera and P. mume (‘Viking®’). The trial, planted in 2011, is located in Yolo County, in the northern Central Valley of California on a silty clay loam with irrigation water boron concentrations ranging between 1 and 3 ppm.
All experiment trees were grafted to ‘Nonpareil’. Tree growth, yield, hull and leaf nutrient levels, and propensity to water stress were evaluated.
The trees on the peach-almond hybrids ‘Nickels®’ and ‘FxA®’ produced higher yields in these marginal boron conditions than the trees on other rootstocks.
In some years, the yields of peach-almond hybrids ‘Brights 5®’ and ‘Hansen 536®’, along with trees on ‘Viking®’, were not statistically distinguishable from yields on ‘Nickels®’ and ‘FxA®’. Trees on ‘Rootpac-R®’, ‘Krymsk 86®’ and ‘Lovell®’ produced the lowest yields.
Canopy light interception measurements showed rootstocks could be grouped statistically by size into peach-almond hybrids, other hybrids, and pure peach.
Yield efficiency showed slightly different performance groupings, with yield efficiency of ‘Viking®’ and ‘Brights 5®’ often not statistically different from the larger trees on peach-almond hybrids.
Our results indicate that the peach-almond hybrids studied (with the exception of ‘Hansen 536®’ in our trial) and the complex hybrid ‘Viking®’ support strong growth and yield under marginal boron growing conditions.
To assess the potential of rootstocks to mitigate scion boron stress, Prunus rootstocks with a variety of genetic background were planted and compared with the then-commonly planted ‘Lovell®’ peach (P. persica): four peach-almond hybrids (‘Hansen 536®’, Nickels®, ‘FxA®’ and ‘Brights 5®), one Prunus cerasifera × almond hybrid (‘Krymsk 86®’), one Prunus cerasifera × peach hybrid (‘Rootpac-R®’), and one complex hybrid of almond, peach, P. cerasifera and P. mume (‘Viking®’). The trial, planted in 2011, is located in Yolo County, in the northern Central Valley of California on a silty clay loam with irrigation water boron concentrations ranging between 1 and 3 ppm.
All experiment trees were grafted to ‘Nonpareil’. Tree growth, yield, hull and leaf nutrient levels, and propensity to water stress were evaluated.
The trees on the peach-almond hybrids ‘Nickels®’ and ‘FxA®’ produced higher yields in these marginal boron conditions than the trees on other rootstocks.
In some years, the yields of peach-almond hybrids ‘Brights 5®’ and ‘Hansen 536®’, along with trees on ‘Viking®’, were not statistically distinguishable from yields on ‘Nickels®’ and ‘FxA®’. Trees on ‘Rootpac-R®’, ‘Krymsk 86®’ and ‘Lovell®’ produced the lowest yields.
Canopy light interception measurements showed rootstocks could be grouped statistically by size into peach-almond hybrids, other hybrids, and pure peach.
Yield efficiency showed slightly different performance groupings, with yield efficiency of ‘Viking®’ and ‘Brights 5®’ often not statistically different from the larger trees on peach-almond hybrids.
Our results indicate that the peach-almond hybrids studied (with the exception of ‘Hansen 536®’ in our trial) and the complex hybrid ‘Viking®’ support strong growth and yield under marginal boron growing conditions.
Authors
K. Jarvis-Shean, C. DeBuse, S. Metcalf, B. Lampinen
Keywords
Prunus, yield, yield efficiency, canopy size, trunk circumference
Groups involved
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