RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EFFECTS OF ROOTSTOCK AND PLANTING SYSTEM ON NECTARINES

Trees of "Stark Redgold" nectarine grafted on ‘P.S.A5’, ‘P.S.B2’ peach seedlings and ‘GF 655/2’ plum rootstock and trained as free spindles at 2222 and 1480 trees/ha and as free palmetta at 740 trees/ha were compared over seven years.
Canopy volume on ‘P.S.B2’ was respectively 15% and 32% higher than on ‘P.S.A5’ and ‘GF 655/2’ at the lowest planting density.
Trunk cross-sectional area was correlated to canopy volume.

Yield per tree was greater on the two peach seedlings during the early years of production and at the lowest planting densities in comparison to the plum clone but the differences were reduced in later years.
Cumulative yield showed better results for ‘P.S.B2’ rootstock.
Higher yield per hectare was obtained with ‘P.S.A5’ and ‘P.S.B2’ at the highest planting density (9 MT and 12 MT more than ‘GF 655/2’ respectively). Fruit weight was highest on ‘P.S.A5’ followed by ‘GF 655/2’ independently of planting density; fruit size was smallest on ‘P.S.B2’ especially at the highest planting densities.

V International Symposium on Orchard and Plantation Systems

F. Loreti, R. Massai, S. Morini

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1993.349.22