Estimation of Productive Value of Czech Origin Scab-Resistant Apple Cultivars on Different Rootstocks
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Journal of Horticultural Research 2014, vol. 22(2): 115-121 DOI: 10.2478/johr-2014-0028 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ESTIMATION OF PRODUCTIVE VALUE OF CZECH ORIGIN SCAB-RESISTANT APPLE CULTIVARS ON DIFFERENT ROOTSTOCKS Ireneusz SOSNA Department of Horticulture, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences Pl. Grunwaldzki 24 A, 50-363 Wroclaw, Poland Received: August 6, 2014; Accepted: October 27, 2014 ABSTRACT Apple cultivars resistant to scab are suitable for the conventional and organic cultivation. Rootstocks impact on the growth of trees, yield and fruit quality of scab-resistant cultivars were examined in the ex- periment conducted at Fruit Experimental Station – Samotwór near Wrocław, during the years 1998-2008. In the spring of 1998, the trees of five Czech origin scab-resistant apple cultivars ‘Rosana’, ‘Rubinola’, ‘Rajka’, ‘Goldstar’ and ‘Topaz’ each on M.9, P2, P60, P16 and P22 rootstocks were planted at a spacing of 3.5 × 1.2 m (2380 trees per hectare). The results of 11-year-long studies showed that ‘Rubinola’ and ‘Rajka’ were characterised by the strongest vigour, while ‘Rosana’ grew much weaker. Significant differ- ences in the cumulative yield were not observed between cultivars, but rootstocks influenced cropping in- stantly. Trees on rootstock P60 had biggest cross-section area and canopy volume, and the highest cumu- lative yield. Fruit weight was highest from trees on M9 and P60. ‘Topaz’ and ‘Rosana’ formed significantly lightest fruits and ‘Goldstar’ the heaviest. Trees on the super-dwarfing P22 rootstock grew and yielded very weakly and produced very small fruits. The greatest susceptibility to powdery mildew (Podosphaera leu- cotricha) was observed in ‘Topaz’ and ‘Rajka’. ‘Rubinola’ has the best potential for organic cultivation, especially on dwarfing rootstocks. Key words: Malus × domestica, Venturia inaequalis, resistance, rootstock INTRODUCTION growing popularity of winter cultivars of Czech origin, such as ‘Rubinola’, ‘Rajka’, ‘Goldstar’ and Apple scab (Venturia inaequalis) is the most ‘Topaz’. In regards to the taste, appearance and stor- dangerous disease in apple orchards. Failure to pro- age properties of fruits, these cultivars can compete tect against apple scab results in severe yield losses even with ‘Jonagold’ (Sosna & Kortylewska 2013). and reduces the market value of the fruits. The strat- They have already been acknowledged not only in egy to control apple scab relies on multiple applica- the Czech Republic, but also in other countries of Eu- tions of fungicides, which increases production rope (Kellerhals et al. 2003; Jönsson & Tahir 2004; costs and has negative impact on environment Godec 2007; Lanauskas et al. 2009; Pantea 2011). (Carisse & Dewdney 2002). The best way to over- Recently, in the Czech Republic, among the new come these disadvantages is to cultivate scab-re- scab-resistant cultivars, the largest area was planted sistant cultivars (Sosna 2005). This is particularly by ‘Topaz’, whereas earlier ‘Rosana’ was the most important in organic cultivation, especially that for important cultivar (Blažek & Křelinová 2006). fruit processing (Czynczyk et al. 2012). Apple cul- Tree fruit rootstocks are used to influence pre- tivars resistant to scab are bred in many countries all cocity, tree size, fruit quality, yield efficiency, min- over the world. Most of them contain the gene Vr (at eral uptake and to withstand adverse environmental present RVI6) derived from Malus floribunda 821 conditions. Dwarfing rootstocks are widely used in (Fisher et al. 1998). In recent years there has been a the apple industry in Europe, the United States and Corresponding author: e-mail: [email protected] 116 I. Sosna ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ other parts of the world (Fallahi et al. 2002). Most All trees in the experiment were trained in the of the breeding programmes have sought to select form of spindle canopy with the shoots bent down dwarfing rootstocks with additional attributes, such by means of concrete weights until the 3rd year after as resistance to winter cold, weed competition, planting and pruned in May after blooming. The drought and soil-borne pests and diseases, but none trees were not irrigated. Herbicides were applied in of the currently available rootstocks combines the tree rows, with grassy strips between them. The dwarfing with all of these attributes (Webster 2002). trees were fertilised with nitrogen annually and with The aim of this study was to evaluate different potassium every few years, according to the recom- combinations of scab-resistant apple cultivar/dwarf mendation for apple cultivation. Chemical pest and rootstock in order to match appropriate pairs of disease control was carried out in accordance with the most suitable to cultivation in the Lower Silesia the current recommendations of the Orchard Protec- region. tion Program, but no chemicals were used to protect the trees against apple scab. During the first 2 years MATERIALS AND METHODS after planting, no fungicides were used, afterwards fungicides against other diseases were applied only The experiment was conducted at the Fruit Ex- twice a year. perimental Station at Samotwór near Wroclaw in The obtained results were analysed statisti- years 1998-2008. One-year-old trees of five apple cally, using the ANOVA method (analysis of vari- cultivars of Czech origin (‘Rosana’, ‘Rubinola’, ance), for the randomised split-plot method. Signif- ‘Rajka’, ‘Goldstar’ and ‘Topaz’) combined with each icant differences at p = 0.05 were calculated using of five rootstocks – M.9, P2, P60, P16 and P22 were Duncan’s multiple range t-test. planted in sandy-loam soil, in the spring of 1998, at the spacing of 3.5 × 1.2 m (2380 trees·ha-1). The ex- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION periment was established in a randomised split-plot design in four replications, with five trees per plot Till the 11th year after planting, the cultivars (20 trees of each rootstock/cultivar combination). and rootstocks significantly influenced the vegeta- During the years 1998-2008, the following data tive growth of trees, as well as the yield and mean were recorded: the growth of trees (expressed as fruit weight. ‘Rubinola’ and ’Rajka’ proved to be trunk cross-sectional area and crown volume), the the most vigorous cultivars, considering trunk degree of infection with powdery mildew (Podo- cross-sectional area and canopy volume. The weak- sphaera leucotricha), yield and mean fruit weight. est growth was noted for ‘Rosana’ (Tables 1 & 2). The circumference of the trunk of each tree was These results are in accordance with the data ob- measured 30 cm above the soil level. Furthermore, tained earlier by Blažek et al. (2003), Sosna (2005), the height of trees and canopy width measured in Szklarz (2008), Lanauskas et al. (2009) and Pitera two directions were recorded. Canopy volume was and Odziemkowski (2009). Blažek and Křelinová calculated using a formula for cone volume. An (2006) reported that the trunk cross-sectional area evaluation of yield has been performed for all the of ‘Rosana’ did not differ significantly from that of trees in the subsequent years of study. To determine ‘Topaz’. However, Ilie and Stănică (2012) evalu- an average weight of a fruit, 20 randomly selected ated ‘Topaz’ on rootstock M.9 as more vigorous fruits were weighed for each tree. Cumulative yield than ‘Rubinola’. On the contrary, in Kruczyńska efficiency (CYE) was calculated by dividing the val- and Rutkowski (2006) experiment a trunk cross- ues of cumulative yields by those referring to the tree sectional area of ‘Topaz’ was the smallest compared trunk cross-sectional area in the autumn of 2008. The with the other cultivars. Regardless of the cultivar, number of dead and bark and wood diseased trees the super-dwarfing P22 rootstock very strongly re- was recorded annually and compiled at the end of the duced the growth of trees. This rootstock proved to experiment. Every month, during orchard inspections be the most suitable for very vigorous cultivars, e.g. shoots infected with powdery mildew were first ‘Rubinola’, whereas in the case of ‘Rosana’ the counted and then cut off. dwarfing effect of this rootstock was too strong. The Estimation of productive value of Czech origin scab-resistant apple 117 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ extremely weak growth of the trees on P22 was re- ever, in Sosna (2013) experiment, no significant dif- ported by Russo et al. (2007), Piestrzeniewicz et al. ference in trees vigour of ‘Mutsu’ grown on P16 and (2009) and Kviklys et al. (2012). The rootstock on M.9 rootstocks was found. which trees were most vigorous in this study was The highest cumulative yields of 10 years were P60, which confirmed reports of Czynczyk et al. recorded in ‘Topaz’ and ‘Rosana’ trees while the (2010) and Kowalczyk and Wrona (2011). Trees on lowest in ‘Goldstar’, but the differences among cul- P16 grew significantly weaker in comparison to tivars were statistically insignificant (Table 3). In M.9. Similar results were obtained by Dierend and comparison with the experiments of Blažek et al. Bier-Kamotzke (2009), Jadczuk-Tobjasz et al. (2003; Blažek (2006), the productivity of ‘Topaz’ (2009) and Vercammen and Gomand (2011). How- was similarly high, but ‘Rubinola’ yield was low. Table 1. Trunk cross-sectional area (cm2) of 11-years-old scab-resistant apple cultivars depending on rootstock Cultivar/rootstock M.9 P2 P60 P16 P22 Mean ‘Rosana’ 16.4 20.5 31.1 16.4 8.8 18.6 a ‘Rubinola’ 39.5 38.9 44.7 23.1 17.1 32.7 c ‘Rajka’ 34.0 52.5 39.2 22.6 12.1 32.1 bc ‘Goldstar’ 23.9 16.4 25.7 20.7 8.4 19.0 a ‘Topaz’ 29.2 25.7 42.6 21.4 14.3 26.6 b Mean 28.6 c 30.8 c 36.6 d 20.8 b 12.1 a LSD0.05 cultivar*rootstock 10.2 LSD0.05 rootstock*cultivar 10.8 Means followed by the same letter do not differ at p = 0.05 according to Duncan’s multiple range t-test Table 2.