Features of growth and production processes in own-rootedand grafted cherry plum trees

Abstract

In 2022-2023, a comparative study of the growth and productivity of own-rootedand grafted cherry plum trees planted in 2020 according to the 5×2 m scheme was conducted at the Federal Horticultural Research Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery. The objects of research are plants of the varieties ‘Shatyor’, ‘Zlato Skifov’ and ‘Kubanskaya Kometa’, own-rooted and grafted on clone rootstocks SVG-11-19 and 13-113. Differences in biometric indicators in own-rootedand grafted trees of all studied varieties have been established. The height of trees at the age of 5 years varied depending on the graft -rootstock combination from 2.0 (‘Zlato Skifov’/SVG-11-19) up to 3.1 m (‘Shatyor’/13-113). The height of the own-rootedtrees was 15-20 % less than that of the trees grafted on the rootstock 13- 113. The ‘Kubanskaya Kometa’ and ‘Shatyor’ varieties showed a significant decrease in height when grafted on the SVG-11-19 rootstock. The trees of the ‘Zlato Skifov’ variety (less than 2.1 m) were the weakest in the experiment. Differences in the length of annual increments and leaf area were revealed. The productivity of cherry plum trees in the initial period of fruiting depended both on varietal characteristics and on the method of growing planting material. The most productive variety was a Shatyor with a load yield of more than 11 kg/der. The greatest differences in productivity, depending on the rootstock, were noted in the ‘Kubanskaya Kometa’ variety: from 7.3 to 12.9 kg/der. The average productivity of trees of the ‘Zlato Skifov’ variety did not exceed 5.5 kg/der. The ‘Kubanskaya Kometa’ and ‘Shatyor’ varieties have an advantage in productivity in trees grafted on the SVG-11-19 rootstock compared to own-rootedones. The fruits of own-rootedtrees of all varieties were smaller than those grafted on the rootstock SVG-11-19. To increase the yield of the ‘KubanskayaKometa’ and ‘Shatyor’ varieties, seedlings grafted on the SVG-11-19 rootstock should be used. For a low-growing variety of ‘Zlato Skifov’, the optimal result can be obtained when planting plantings, both with own-rootedseedlings and grafted on rootstock 13-113.