PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF ‘FUJI’ APPLE TREES ON ‘JM’ SERIES ROOTSTOCKS, IN SÃO JOAQUIM/SC

Abstract

ABSTRACT Worldwide, research has developed new apple rootstocks that induce higher yields, pest resistance and adaptation to different climatic and soil conditions. Thus, the performance of these new rootstocks in the conditions of the main regions that grow apples should be investigated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of ‘Fuji’ trees on different rootstocks of JM series and M.7 in the region of São Joaquim, SC. The experiment was performed from 2010 to 2015. Plant material consisted on the cultivar Fuji grafted on the rootstocks JM.2, JM.3, JM.5, JM.7, JM.8 and M.7, planted as single axis trees in the winter of 2002, and spaced at 5 x 1.5m. Trees were trained in a central-leader system and arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The number of fruits per tree, production per tree, yield, yield efficiency, fruit weigh, and trunk cross sectional area were evaluated. The results showed that the yield of ‘Fuji’ apple trees is greater with the rootstocks JM.3, JM.7, JM.8, and M.7. The rootstocks JM.2, JM.5, JM.7 and JM.8 induce similar vigor as M.7. The results also show that fruit weight is little affected by rootstock.