RESPONSE OF THE APPLE ROOTSTOCKS ‘M 9’, ‘M 26’ AND ‘MM 106’ TO BORON TOXICITY

Plants of the apple rootstocks ‘M 9’, ‘M 26’ and ‘MM 106’ were grown in a 1:1 sand:perlite mixture and irrigated with Hoagland’s nutrient solutions containing three boron (B) concentrations (0.025, 0.2 and 0.4 mM). ‘M 26’ plants were able to maintain lower B concentrations in their leaves in comparison to ‘M 9’ and ‘MM 106’. Chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate of leaves from plants treated with 0.4 mM B were significantly lower in comparison to the control.
Phosphorous and Zn concentrations of leaves were not significantly affected by rootstock and B concentra-tion of the nutrient solution.
Potassium, Mg, Fe and Mn concentrations of leaves were not significantly affected by B concentration of the nutrient solution.
Potassium concentration of leaves of ‘M 26’ rootstock was significantly lower, whereas Mg and Mn concentrations were significantly higher in comparison to ‘M 9’ and ‘MM 106’, for all B concentrations used.
By increasing B concentration in solution, Ca concentra¬tion of leaves of ‘M 9’ and ‘M 26’ rootstocks decreased, whereas that of ‘MM 106’ was not altered significantly.

II Balkan Symposium on Fruit Growing

N. Koutinas, K. Roubos, T. Sotiropoulos, I. Therios

chlorophyll, Malus domestica, photosynthetic rate, nutritional status

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2013.981.75