BIOMETRIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ROOTS AND CANOPY IN PEAR

A better knowledge of the relationship between canopy and root system can give useful tools for rootstock breeding in pear.
For this purpose, 200 Bartlett seedlings (o.p.), propagated by hardwood cutting, have been evaluated after two years of growth.
Canonical correlation was applied between parameters of canopy and of roots.
The eigenvector of shoots (0.11 length – 1.51 section + 0.35 dry weight + 0.69 length/section + 0.49 weight/length) resulted correlated with the root eigenvector (0.54 length -0.33 section + 0.28 dry weight + 0.16 length/section – 0.46 weight/length). By this correlation it was possible to estimate the root system through the shoot structure.
Positive values of shoot eigenvector, identified a kind of vigorous shoot, with a small section, that was associated with a similar root and both had a scarce efficiency in dry matter accumulation.
On the opposite, negative values identified a compact shoot associated with a short root but both with good dry matter stocks.

VI International Symposium on Pear Growing

G.L. Bagnara

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1994.367.14