The behaviour of some new cherry tree cultivars during the first years after planting

Although the pedo-climatic conditions of Dobrogea are more favourable to the cherry tree culture, this species is not as widespread as the peach tree or the apricot tree. In this area there has not been a constant preoccupation for the establishing of a qualitatively adequate assortment. The large plantations which were organised between 1975 and 1995 were not based on thorough studies and the inappropriate placing leads to many plantations being compromised. The carried out research had as purpose to identify cultivars with the best capacity of adapting in the area, expressed through: normal evolution of the growth and fructification phenophases, production in accordance to the age and good quality of the fruit. The research also aimed to establish an assortment of cultivars with a ripening period from early to very late. 31 cultivars were studied, both of Romanian origin (I.C.P.P. Pitesti, S.C.P.P. Iasi, S.C.P.P. Bistrita) as well as foreign (the USA, Germany, Sweden, Ukraine, the Czech Republic), grafted on the main parent stock recommended in the area – Prunus mahaleb. The research focused on the behaviour of each cultivar during the first years after being planted in an orchard, specifically the growth vigour during year IV of vegetation, the garnishing of the skeletal branches with anticipated shoots and the type of fructiferous formations. The obtained results lead to the conclusion that the cultivars most likely to start fruiting early (number of anticipated shoots per linear metre) are: ‘Sam’, ‘Severin’, ‘Kristin’, ‘Catalina’, ‘Cerna’, ‘Scorospelka’ and ‘Colina’. Among the cultivars with low vigour are ‘Amar Galata’, ‘Stella’, ‘Hedelfinger’, ‘Catalina’, while among those with greater vigour are ‘Colina’, ‘Altenburger’, ‘NY 9295’, ‘NY 13272’, ‘New Star’, ‘Ponoare’ and so on. Several cultivars, namely ‘Catalina’, ‘Van’, ‘Scorospelka’, ‘Jubileu’, ‘Rainier’, ‘Sam’, ‘Severin’ and ‘Izverna’ are of greater interest for production within commercial orchards since they display the most appreciated fructiferous formation for the cherry tree – the bouquet.