Articles
FIRST RESULTS WITH DWARFING ROOTSTOCKS IN NORTHERN GERMANY AS PART OF A NATIONAL GERMAN ROOTSTOCK TRIAL
The first preliminary results of a comparing trial with 22 different cherry rootstocks are reported.
The trial was established in 1989 as a national rootstock trial at the research stations of Oppenheim, Veitshöchheim and Jork.
Unfortunately, in the meantime the trial in Oppenheim had to be stopped completely because of health problems.
In Veitshöchheim parts of the trial had to be dug up.
Only at Jork the complete tree material is still under observation.
With the test variety ‘Hedelfinger’ a lot of trees died.
Beside others this also concerned the Weiroot-clones from Weihenstephan.
But the very thin tree-material with Weiroot-rootstocks at planting time could have been another reason for the losses.
The trees with the other test variety ‘Regina’ are much more healthy.
Surprisingly, only a small difference in vegetative growth between F12/1 and Colt was found.
The Weiroot-clones 10, 13, 14 and 158 had nearly as vigourous growth.
Trees on Gisela 5 had the highest yield.
With Weiroot 158 cropping started later, but gave very good results in 1995 and 1996. Good cropping results were obtained with Gisela 4 and the very dwarfing Ahrensburg 209/1 with good fruit production per tree volume.
Because of the positive cropping results and satisfying health, the rootstock Gisela 5 has been recommended for testing in cherry orchards in the Lower Elbe region since 1994.