EFFECT OF NEW ROOTSTOCKS OF POLISH, RUSSIAN AND CZECHOSLOVAKIAN BREEDS AND TWO DEPTH OF PLANTING OF TREES WITH INTERSTEMS ON GROWTH AND CROPPING OF 3 APPLE CULTIVARS

Dwarfing apple rootstocks: B.9, B.146 and B.195 from the Soviet Union, I-TE-D, I-TE-F, I-TE-G (T-20) from Czechoslovakia, P.1, P.2, P.16, P.22 from Poland and dwarfing interstems of B.9, P.2, and P.22 on Antonovka seedling with two depths of planting (the whole 30 cm interstem above the ground or buried 15 cm in the ground) were compared with standard English dwarfing rootstocks: M.9, M.26 and M.27.

The results obtained from the experiment carried on for 7 years (1980–1987) showed that trees of Lobo, Spartan and Empire grafted on P.22 and B.195, were roughly similar in size to trees grown on M.9. Trees on I-TE-D were significantly larger than those on M.26. Trees grafted on P.1, P.2 and B.9 were similar in size to the trees on M.26, but trees of Spartan on P.1 and P.2 and Empire on P.1 were significantly larger.
All other trees on rootstocks and interstems B.9 and P.2 were similar in size to the trees grafted on M.9. Trees with an interstem of P.22 were similar in size to the trees grafted on M.27.

The cumulative yield depended on the size of the trees.
All three cultivars on P.1, P.2 and B.9 produced, on average, higher crops than trees grafted on M.26. Lobo and Spartan trees with B.9 and P.2 interstems produced significantly higher crops than trees grafted on M.9. The smallest crops were obtained from trees grafted on M.27, P.22, B.195 and from trees with interstems of P.22. Cropping efficiency, expressed as kg of yield per cm² of trunk cross-section, was the highest for Lobo grafted on B.195, P.22 and with interstems of B.9, P.2, P.22; for Spartan grafted on B.195, M.27 and with interstems of B.9, P.2 and P.22, planted at standard depths and for Empire grafted on M.9, M.27 and trees with interstems of B.9, P.2 and P.22 planted at standard depths.

The interstem trees, B.9, P.2 and P.22 planted 15 cm deeper, did not reduce the cumulative crop but reduced the number of suckers per tree.
After the severe winter of 1986/87, deeper planted interstem trees showed the highest frost resistance with the exception of trees with P.22 interstem.
All rootstocks were not damaged by low temperatures.

Trees grafted on P.2, P.1 and P.22 rootstocks and trees with B.9 and P.2 interstems planted 15 cm deeper are very promising for Polish conditions.

IV International Symposium on Research and Development on Orchard and Plantation Systems

A. Czynczyk, B. Omiecinska

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1989.243.7