Articles
INERSPECIFIC HYBRIDIZATION AND ROOTSTOCKS BREEDING FOR EUROPEAN PLUMS
They belong to the species : Prunus domestica, insititia or cerasifera.
The objectives, different according to pedo-climatic conditions, evolve with cultural tecnics.
The new programmes use interspecific hybridization in the subgenus Prunophora or between Prunophora and Amygdalus. These programmes developped from species Prunus domestica, insititia, spinosa, salicina, cerasifera, have lead to the obtention of thousands of hybrids.
A first selection on the graft compatibility with peach, lead to keep some one hundred rootstock candidates.
Grafted with three plum varieties (Green Gage, French Prune and Mirabelle), the orchard evaluation is carried on the invigorating effect and the fruit production (mean weight and quality).
Some physiological incompatibility cases are observed in nursery with one, two or three varieties, and later in orchard.
According to the varieties, some rootstocks can reduce the vigor from 20 to 40 % of the control, P. marianna GF 8.1.
According to the associations variety/rootstock, we observe a more or less early or important fruit setting.
Green Gage using as the cultivar, leads to the best screening among rootstocks for the evaluated criteriums.
The aim of this breeding programme is to select some rootstocks leading to an evolution of the table fruit orchard towards more profitability and fruit quality.