FIELD PERFORMANCE OF TWO PEACH AND NECTARINE CULTIVARS PROPAGATED IN VITRO

Self-rooted trees of ‘Maycrest’ and ‘Roza’ peach and ‘Firebrite’ and ‘Independence’ nectarine, in vitro propagated, were planted in February 1984 in three different areas in Italy, to compare them with trees of the same cultivars produced traditionally by budding on ‘PS B2’ peach seedling rootstock.

The micropropagated trees were much smaller at planting than the traditional trees in all cultivars and grew slowly in the year of planting; however these latter had a year older root system than the former.
The differences in trunk size and tree height diminished over the subsequent two years, so by the end of the third year, the two peaches and the ‘Firebrite’ nectarine showed similar growing habits.

The differences in yield per tree, crop efficiency and fruit weight were very cultivar-specific, but independent from the two propagation methods.

The slow growth of the micropropagated trees in their first orchard year needs to point out the establishment and the field management for such plants.

II International Peach Symposium

A. Liverani, D. Cobianchi, F.R. De Salvador, O. Insero, A. Minguzzi

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1989.254.5