INFLUENCE OF NEW APPLES CLONAL ROOTSTOCKS ON EARLY ORCHARD PERFORMANCE OF THREE CULTIVARS

Experiments with apple cultivars 'Golden Delicious', 'Gloster' and 'Spartan' raised on the rootstocks M and MM /M.9, M.26, M.27, MM. 106/, Czechoslovak rootstocks J-TE /J-TE-C, J-TE-D, J-TE-E, J-TE-F, J-TE-G, J-TE-H/ and Polish rootstocks P.2 and P.22 were planted at the Research Institute Holovousy in autumn 1982. The most vigorous growth in the period 1985/86 was recorded for the trees on the rootstocks J-TE-C and MM. 106 /220 % and 151%, respectively, of that on M.9/. The trees on the rootstocks J-TE-D, J-TE-H and M.26 were 12% to 34% more vigorous than M.9 trees. Growth intensity of the trees on J-TE-E, J-TE-F was similar to that of M.9 trees. Dwarfing growth was noted for the rootstocks P.2 and P.22 /85% and 90% as compared with M.9/ and especially for J-TE-G and M.27, which dwarfed the scions to 68% and 59% of M.9 growth. The rootstocks J-TE-E, J-TE-D, J-TE-F produced many root suckers. With all three cultivars, the total accumulated yields for the 3rd and 4th vegetation periods were the highest on the rootstocks P.22, P.2, M.26 and J-TE-G. On the basis of all observations and results the rootstocks J-TE-E, J-TE-G, P.2 and P.22 appear to be very promising.