POLLINIZER DISTANCE AFFECTS CROP LOAD OF YOUNG ‘REGINA’ SWEET CHERRY TREES

‘Regina’ sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) produces fruit of excellent quality but has shown low productivity in Oregon, USA. An important factor in ‘Regina’ low yields appears to be tree distance from a pollinizer.
Yields of 4th leaf ‘Regina’/‘Gisela 6’ trees were greatly reduced as distance from a ‘Sam’ pollinizer increased.
Trees immediately adjacent to a pollinizer within the row produced the highest average yields at 12.6 kg/tree.
Yields decreased by 27%, 52%, 58% and 59% for trees located 2, 3, 4 and 5 trees (6.2 m, 9.3 m, 12.4 m and 15.5 m, respectively) from a pollinizer in the same row.
A similar trend was observed in rows without pollinizer trees, although yields were further reduced compared to rows with pollinizer trees.
Productivity of ‘Regina’ orchards may be increased by planting ‘Regina’ trees in close proximity to pollinizers or other practices that enhance pollen availability.

V International Cherry Symposium

R. Núñez-Elisea, H. Cahn, L. Caldeira, A. Azarenko

Prunus avium, pollination, self-incompatibility, fruit quality, high density, orchard design

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.795.83