COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE OF GRAFT INCOMPATIBILITY IN PEAR/QUINCE (PYRUS COMMUNIS/CYDONIA OBLONGA) COMBINATIONS

Pear, originated in Iran, is one of the most important pome fruit species.
Successful pear production depends on high-quality cultivars adapted to local conditions.
Approximately 80% of the local pear cultivars are budded on pear (Pyrus communis L.) seedlings.
The rest are grown on quince A (Cydonia oblonga L.) rootstocks.
Some symptoms of pear/quince incompatibility have been reported.
In this study, 5 large fruited, good market and high quality pear cultivars, ‘Natanz’, ‘Shekari’, ‘Dargazi’, ‘Spadana’ (Pyrus communis L.) and ‘Sebri’ (Pyrus serotina Rehd), were selected in 4 commercial orchards (about 120 ha.) at six locations.
Their compatibility on quince A rootstock, trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA), yield efficiency, tree height and vigour range were recorded.
The usual market price of ‘Natanz’ and ‘Sebri’ (local cultivars in Iran) are about 7 times more than the price of other pear cultivars. ‘Sebri’ fruit weight is about 200 g, while in some regions 650 g per fruit has been recorded for ‘Natanz’. All local cultivars showed high, but delayed incompatibility on quince A, whereas ‘Spadana’ was compatible.
There was a negative correlation between yield efficiency and incompatibility. ‘Natanz’ trees on quince roots were much smaller and less vigorous than comparable ‘Spadana’ and ‘Shekari’ trees.
TCSA was significantly reduced when ‘Natanz’ was budded on quince in comparison with ‘Spadana’. TCSA, canopy volume, flowering, fruit set and yield were significantly affected by the degree of incompatibility.

VIII International Symposium on Canopy, Rootstocks and Environmental Physiology in Orchard Systems

G.H. Davarynejad, E. Davarynejad

Iranian pear cultivars, Asian pear, ‘Natanz’, ‘Sebri’, ‘Shekari’, ‘Spadana’, , incompatibility

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.732.31