Behavior of some cultivars of apricot (prunus armeniaca l.) On different rootstocks

Abstract

The trial was conducted in Prislonica village near CaZak (western Serbia) from 2011 to 2017 in order to determine the impact of Myrobalan (vigorous), St. Julien A (semi-vigorous) and Pumiselect (dwarfing) rootstocks on tree growth, productivity and main fruit physico-chemical traits of three newly-bred Serbian apricot genotypes grown under dry, sandy-loam and acidic soil conditions. Tree survival was registered from 2011 to 2018. The orchard was established in autumn 2011 at a 5.5 m x 3 m planting distance. Apricots on Myrobalan had strong growth, lower yield and poorest fruit quality traits in most cases in comparison to St. Julien A and Pumiselect. Pumiselect showed a good capacity to reduce tree growth, increased yield, fruit weight, flesh rate, soluble solids content and ripening index. St. Julien A exhibited similar influences as Pumiselect. In the case of genotypes, 'Novosadska Rodna' had higher vigour, lower yield, better physical, but poorest chemical properties of fruit in comparison to 'NS 4' and 'NS 6' genotypes. The best yield traits were determined with 'NS 4', whereas the best fruit chemical properties were found in 'NS 6'. Tree mortality depended on rootstock, but also on genotype. By 2018, 56 %, 18 % and 40 % of the trees on Pumiselect, St. Julien A and Myrobalan, respectively, had died. In the case of genotypes, until 2018 'Novosadska Rodna showed 64 %, 'NS 4' 79 % and 'NS 6' only 43 % survival on all rootstocks on average.