Assessment of production capacity for some plum, myrobalan and sloe cultivars and selections grown in Northern Oltenia

The Carpathian area of Oltenia region forms a secondary genetic center of diversity for the Prunus genus species like P. domestica L., P. insititia L., P. cerasifera Ehrh., P. spinosa L., P. persica L., P. avium L., P. cerasus L., etc. Cultivars and selections from the following species: P. domestica L., P. insititia L., P. cerasifera Ehrh., P. spinosa L. and P. salicina Lindl. were used in present paper in order to evaluate the production capacity. The cultivars and selections differ among themselves both due to the genetic origin and within species in terms of phenology and fructification. Bud break and flowering occur very early for the selections and cultivars of P. cerasifera Ehrh. ('Mirobalan GT1') and P. salicina Lindl. ('Ozark Premier') between March 18 and April 12, respectively March 20 and April 14. Cultivars and selections from P. domestica L. (April 9-May 3), P. insititia L. (April 10-April 29) and P. spinosa L. (April 10-April 26) start blooming later and usually there are not affected by the late frosts. In the ecological Carpathian area of Oltenia conditions it was proved that the genetic origin have a major influence on the production potential. The genotypes from P. domestica L. (16 t/ha), P. insititia L. (17.3 t/ha) and P. cerasifera Ehrh. (17.7 t/ha) have achieved the highest fruits production per hectare compared with selections and cultivars from P. spinosa L. (5.0 t/ha) and P. salicina Lindl. (8.8 t/ha). Within P. domestica L. species were noted 'Centenar' (23.3 t/ha), 'Stanley' (19.8 t/ha) and 'Minerva' (18.6 t/ha) cultivars, with higher production statistically assured, compared with the control cultivar 'Tuleu gras' (15.0 t/ha). In case of P. insititia L. species were obtained high fruits production at 'Gogoşele Negre' (23.0 t/ha) and 'Troianu 9' (19.4 t/ha), and at the P. cerasifera Ehrh. species at 'Miroval' (20.4 t/ha) and 'Mirobalan 2V' (18.2 t/ha). The reduced production at the P. spinosa L. selections was due to the large suckering capacity and very low plant vigor, also to the very small fruits. The cultivars from P. salicina Lindl. are productive in the first years, then they are suffering from different diseases (virotic, mycoplasmatic) and so they does not adapt to the environmental specific area conditions (low temperature in the winter and higher humidity in the air and soil).