Reduction of the tree production cycle of in vitro propagated 'Stanley' plum cultivar and the tree behaviour in an orchard. 2. Reproductive behaviour
2006
Popov, S.K., Institute of Fruitgrowing, Plovdiv (Bulgaria)
The study was carried out on the reproductive behaviour of own-rooted micropropagated trees of 'Stanley' plum cultivar growth for only a year in a nursery. Traditionally produced trees grafted on the seedling rootstock Janka 4 (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.) as well as in vitro propagated trees of the same cultivar, but grown in the nursery for two vegetation periods, were planted for comparison. The aim of the study was to establish the reproductive and economic qualities of the micropropagated own-rooted planting material produced by reducing the cycle and to evaluate the possibility of establishing fruit orchards from these plants. The following characteristics were observed: beginning of fruiting, yield, biometric indices and fruit production efficiency expressed as yield to trunk cross-section area and to crown projection area ratios. The trees obtained by reducing the production cycle began to bear fruits during the second vegetation like grafted trees. They had less fruit buds per tree compared to the grafted ones and the buds were located in the apical parts of the shoots. Such juvenile behaviour was observed only for the first year after the beginning of fruiting. The own-rooted trees were less fertile in comparison to the grafted ones. However, there were no differences in fruit quality and in the biometric indices. The efficient productivity calculated on the basis of the trunk cross-section area and the crown projection area was higher than that of the traditionally produced trees.
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