Performance of the sweet cherry cultivar 'Van' on new clonal rootstocks

摘要

The first 6 years' growth, yield and fruit quality were compared for the sweet cherry cultivar Van planted in Italy on 12 different dwarfing and semi-dwarfing rootstocks. Trees on GM 9, GM 61/1, GM 79 (Belgium), MXM 14 and 97 (USA), and the Prunus cerasus CAB clones, 4D, 6P, 8F, 9E and 11E (Italy) were compared with trees on P. fruticosa, (DCA clone) and Colt. GM 9 and GM 61/1 were too dwarfing and formed trees with poor habit and sparse cropping. In contrast, the reduced vigour recorded on severalof the other rootstocks had no adverse effect upon yield efficiency. For example the dwarfing GM 79 enhanced yield efficiency although fruit size on this rootstock was slightly reduced. The semi-dwarfing clone of P. fruticosa also enhanced yields but induced abundant suckering. Trees on the semi-dwarfing Colt exhibited good yield performance, precocity and early fruit ripening. Amongst the CAB clones, all of which suckered, 11E and 6P, the most dwarfing, induced good yields and large fruit size.