Preliminary results of the evaluation of some sweet cherry genotypes from Turkey for breeding of new dwarf rootstocks

New training systems for high density cherry growing need dwarf rootstock. Currently, dwarf rootstocks such as ‘Gisela’ series, ‘PHLC’ and ‘Tabel edabriz’ have been used at these systems. North Anatolia, especially Giresun, formerly Kerason, is one of origins of sweet cherry. In this region, there are many genotypes having different properties. The genotypes can be used for developing new dwarfing rootstocks. This research aimed to determine some growth characteristics related to the potential of dwarfing of cherry genotypes collected from North Anatolia. This study was conducted in the Black Sea Agricultural Research Institute in Samsun Province in North Anatolia. A total of 44 cherry genotypes were collected from Amasya and Giresun provinces between 2000 and 2004. These genotypes were budded on ‘Gisela 5’, ‘Gisela 6’ and ‘Mazzard’ in 2005. The genotypes were planted at 5.0×2.5, 5.0×3.0 and 5.0×4.0 m spacing for ‘Gisela 5’, ‘Gisela 6’ and ‘Mazzard’, respectively, in 2007. Ten of them observed dwarfing were investigated and trunk diameters, tree height, canopy volume, canopy height, canopy width, and the number of spurs on 2-year-old shoots of 100 cm of these genotypes were determined in 2015. The experimental design was a randomized plot in three replications. The results were analyzed using a JUMP 5.01 statistical package. In our study, ‘A1’, ‘A2’, ‘A5’, ‘A6’, ‘A8’, ‘A10’, ‘A14’ and ‘Ş2’ genotypes were found promising related to some dwarfing characteristics.