Articles
Evaluation of apple rootstocks under replant soils in Spain
Article number
1457_12
Pages
93 – 100
Language
English
Abstract
In the Catalunya apple production area, virgin soils are becoming scarcer.
As old orchards decline economically, there is an increasing necessity to replant old sites.
Historically, replanting old orchard sites has resulted in uneven canopy development and lower profitability.
The aim of this work was to evaluate different apple rootstocks with ‘Golden’ and ‘Gala’ as the scions under replant soils at IRTA Mas Badia research experimental station (La Tallada d’Empordà, Spain). The first experiment was planted in 2001 and used ‘Golden Delicious Reinders®’ as the scion cultivar.
It compared nine rootstocks (CG.3007, G.41, CG.4013, CG.4202, G.11, G.16, P.16, M.9 PAJAM® 2 Cepiland, and M.9 NAKB 337) during seven seasons.
The second field trial was planted in 2014 and evaluated seven rootstocks (G.11, G.41, M.9 NAKB 337, M.9 PAJAM® 1 Lancep, M.9 PAJAM® 2 Cepiland, and M.200) with ‘Galavalcov’ as the scion cultivar.
The last trial was planted in 2014 and compared six rootstocks (G.11, G.41, SUPPORTER® 4 PI.80, M.9 EMLA, M.9 PAJAM® 2 Cepiland, and M.200) with ‘Brookfield Gala® Baigentcov’ as the scion cultivar.
The last two trials were evaluated during 9 seasons.
The tree vigor was measured by the size of the trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA). In the ‘Golden Delicious Reinders®’ trial, P.16 had the lowest vigor (8.2 cm2 TCSA), followed by G.11 (19 cm2 TCSA) and all other rootstocks (CG.3007, G.41, CG.4013, CG.4202, G.16, M.9 PAJAM® 2, and M.9 NAKB 337) had higher vigor with TCSA between 22 and 27 cm2. The highest cumulative yield was with G.11 (460 t ha-1), followed by M.9 NAKB (404 t ha-1), M.9 PAJAM® 2 (391 t ha-1), and G.41 (374 t ha-1). All other rootstocks showed cumulative yields lower than 350 t ha-1. With the ‘Galavalcov’ and ‘Brookfield Gala®’ trials, M.200 showed the highest vigor (>27 cm2 TCSA-1) while the lowest vigor was with M.9 PAJAM® 1 with ‘Galavalcov’ and PI.80 with ‘Brookfield Gala®’ (<17 cm2 TCSA-1). All other rootstocks exhibited a similar range of vigor, with both cultivars (between 18 and 24 cm2 TCSA-1). Cumulative yield over the first 9 seasons was greatest for G.11, G.41, and M.200 in both cultivars.
However, G.41 and G.11 had larger fruit size compared with the other rootstocks.
Overall, G.41 and G.11 can maintain growth after the first years of plantation and outgrow traditional dwarfing rootstocks in the tough replant conditions of Catalunya.
As old orchards decline economically, there is an increasing necessity to replant old sites.
Historically, replanting old orchard sites has resulted in uneven canopy development and lower profitability.
The aim of this work was to evaluate different apple rootstocks with ‘Golden’ and ‘Gala’ as the scions under replant soils at IRTA Mas Badia research experimental station (La Tallada d’Empordà, Spain). The first experiment was planted in 2001 and used ‘Golden Delicious Reinders®’ as the scion cultivar.
It compared nine rootstocks (CG.3007, G.41, CG.4013, CG.4202, G.11, G.16, P.16, M.9 PAJAM® 2 Cepiland, and M.9 NAKB 337) during seven seasons.
The second field trial was planted in 2014 and evaluated seven rootstocks (G.11, G.41, M.9 NAKB 337, M.9 PAJAM® 1 Lancep, M.9 PAJAM® 2 Cepiland, and M.200) with ‘Galavalcov’ as the scion cultivar.
The last trial was planted in 2014 and compared six rootstocks (G.11, G.41, SUPPORTER® 4 PI.80, M.9 EMLA, M.9 PAJAM® 2 Cepiland, and M.200) with ‘Brookfield Gala® Baigentcov’ as the scion cultivar.
The last two trials were evaluated during 9 seasons.
The tree vigor was measured by the size of the trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA). In the ‘Golden Delicious Reinders®’ trial, P.16 had the lowest vigor (8.2 cm2 TCSA), followed by G.11 (19 cm2 TCSA) and all other rootstocks (CG.3007, G.41, CG.4013, CG.4202, G.16, M.9 PAJAM® 2, and M.9 NAKB 337) had higher vigor with TCSA between 22 and 27 cm2. The highest cumulative yield was with G.11 (460 t ha-1), followed by M.9 NAKB (404 t ha-1), M.9 PAJAM® 2 (391 t ha-1), and G.41 (374 t ha-1). All other rootstocks showed cumulative yields lower than 350 t ha-1. With the ‘Galavalcov’ and ‘Brookfield Gala®’ trials, M.200 showed the highest vigor (>27 cm2 TCSA-1) while the lowest vigor was with M.9 PAJAM® 1 with ‘Galavalcov’ and PI.80 with ‘Brookfield Gala®’ (<17 cm2 TCSA-1). All other rootstocks exhibited a similar range of vigor, with both cultivars (between 18 and 24 cm2 TCSA-1). Cumulative yield over the first 9 seasons was greatest for G.11, G.41, and M.200 in both cultivars.
However, G.41 and G.11 had larger fruit size compared with the other rootstocks.
Overall, G.41 and G.11 can maintain growth after the first years of plantation and outgrow traditional dwarfing rootstocks in the tough replant conditions of Catalunya.
Publication
Authors
L. Gonzalez Nieto, J. Lordan, G. Àvila, J. Bonany, T.L. Robinson, J. Carbó
Keywords
Malus × domestica, rootstock, Geneva®, crop load, fruit size, yield efficiency, fruit quality
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