Evaluation of the frost tolerance of new plum accessions

Late spring frosts distinguish temperate climate zones, which are ideal for growing plums in Central Europe.
Damage to plums from spring frosts is not as catastrophic in Central Europe as it is for plums, partly due to plums flowering later.
However, spring frosts can still decimate harvests since the reproductive organs of plums are not immune to frost damage.
Consequently, this study assesses the frost resistance of various plum cultivars in their flower buds.
Throughout a period of two years, 16 genotypes were scrutinized, including the commercial cultivars ‘Tophit’, ‘Toptaste’, and 13 novel selections.
The trees, grafted onto St Julien A rootstock, were set at a plantation density of 1,700 trees ha^-1 in Eastern Bohemia (Czech Republic) in 2016, without the aid of an irrigation system.
For each genotype, 15 buds at the balloon bud stage BBCH 59 were collected in three replicates across the canopy.
This collection occurred after spring frosts that afflict the plum’s generative organs.
A weather station captured temperature readings during the bud development phase.
Pistil damage was analyzed in a lab setting.
The extent of damage to the generative organs was quantified in percentage terms.
The bloom dates for each tree were documented.
Among the tested commercial cultivars, ‘Tophit’ experienced the highest damage at 19.03%. Two other genotypes showed comparable levels of damage, with ‘0600012’ suffering the most at 21.88% and ‘0900134’ (15.56%). In contrast, the genotypes ‘Toptaste’, ‘0900045’, each with damage rates of 0.00%, were the least affected.
Such genotypes appear to be more adaptable to regions prone to spring frosts.

EHC2024: International Symposium on Fruit Production Systems for Sustainable and Resilient Development

P. Suran, T. Bydžovská

Prunus domestica, spring frost, generative organs, bloom, flower damage

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2026.1457.32