INITIAL RESULTS SHOWING THE INFLUENCE OF THE IRRIGATION LEVEL AND THE ROOTSTOCK ON THE FRUIT QUALITY OF ´CATHERINE´ PEACH

Peaches are the main irrigated fruit crop in the region of Murcia, with an annual total water use of 98 hm³ and a mean annual yield of 250,000 t, of which approximately one quarter corresponds to ‘Catherine’ cultivar.
The influence of the rootstock on the efficiency of the soil-water-plant relationship has been studied little in relation to deficit irrigation, although there is a wide range of rootstocks available.
The use of rootstocks adapted to or tolerant of water deficits in critical periods can raise the efficiency of irrigation water use.
The current work, carried out in the years 2002, 2003 and 2004, shows results related to ‘Catherine’ fruit quality grafted on ‘Felinem’, ‘Barrier 1’, ‘GF 677’, ‘Mr.S 2/5’ and ‘Montizo’; drip-irrigated at 2 water levels: 100% Etc (R100) and 50% Etc (R50). The fruit SSC/AT ratio did not show differences between both irrigation levels, whereas the fruit weight was affected by the R50 treatment for all rootstocks, being between 5.5% (‘Felinem’) and 22.7% (‘Mr.S 2/5’). No difference in the dry matter content was observed with ‘GF 677 and ‘Felinem’, while for the other rootstocks the content was higher under deficit irrigation.
The fruit brightness (L*) was influenced by ‘Mr.S 2/5’, which showed a lower L* value under R50. For the index 1000a*/b* ‘Montizo’ showed a higher value under deficit irrigation.

VI International Peach Symposium

J. Garcia-Brunton, L. Rincon, J. Saez, M.C. Sanchez

fruit weight, % dry matter, firmness, SS/Ac ratio, luminosity, index 1000a*/b*

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2006.713.52