‘ROCHA’ PERFORMANCE ON EMLA-C ROOTSTOCK – TWENTY YEARS OF OBSERVATIONS

Data for trunk growth and fruit production of the Portuguese pear cv.
Rocha were obtained from a field trial at a representative location within the main Portuguese pear production area (Caldas da Rainha). The rootstock used was the EMLA-C quince selection, and treatments in the nursery were: time and height of grafting and summer/dormant rootstock deshooting.
Severity of scion heading-back was tested at the time of planting.
Results for twenty years, presented for the main parameters studied, which were trunk diameter 10 cm above grafting point and cumulative yield, show that nursery practices can affect orchard performance.
Dormant rootstock deshooting in the nursery induced stronger growth and higher production than summer deshooting.
Lower grafting caused stronger vigour and higher production than either lower or higher budding.
Low-grafting together with winter-deshooting was shown to be the best combination for growth and production, the worst being high-budding combined with summer-deshooting.
The unpruned or partially (1/3) headed-back scions produced less crown growth and more production than those where the terminal bud was removed or 2/3 of the scion headed back.

VIII International Symposium on Pear

A. Santos, A. Silva, J. Alexandre, M. Carvalho, R. Castro

Pyrus communis, yield efficiency, growth and production, pear cultivars, Portugal

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.596.59