INFLUENCE OF INTERSTOCK ON GROWTH AND CROPPING OF ‘RED ELSTAR’ APPLE

In the spring of 1999, an interstem trial was planted with ‘Red Elstar’ apple grafted on M.9 rootstock with three interstems, in order to study their effects on tree vigour and cropping during the establishment years.
The interstems used were ‘Summerred’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Dubbele Zoete Aagt’. Trees were planted in single rows at distances of 3.0 x 1.0 m and raised as slender spindles.
After 3 seasons, growth of the interstock trees, as indicated by trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA), were significantly suppressed only by ‘Summerred’ (about 20% in comparison with trees without interstems). Fruit size was not greatly affected by the interstems, but cumulative yield and cumulative yield efficiency were higher in all interstock combinations, and significantly higher in combination with Summerred (by more than 50% of trees worked directly on M.9).

I International Symposium on Rootstocks for Deciduous Fruit Tree Species

S. Tojnko, Z. Cmelik, P. Zadravec

Malus domestica, yield, yield efficiency, fruit size, trunk cross sectional area

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.658.43