Promise stone fruit crops clonal rootstocks bred at the Krymsk Experimental Breeding Station

The authors present data of the studying of promise stone fruit crops clonal rootstocks bread at the Krymsk FBS in the nursery and orchard. Besides, their ability of cuttings rooting, compatibility with perspective stone fruit crops cultivars were researched as well as suitability for growing in different regions of the country. The prospect of applying industrial the intensive technologies of the sweet cherry cultivation in the south of Russia, became possible in the recent years in connection with the creation of new high-quality and productive varieties and inland low-growing clonal rootstocks, more adapted to the unfavourable environmental conditions, which often occur here. The low-growing rootstocks obtained recently at the Krymsk FBS concerning their characteristics can compete with the well – known foreign semi-dwarf ones, such as Gizela 5, Gizela 6, Inmil, Piku 1, Piku 3, Piku 4. The plum and peach dwarf rootstock Upriamiets as regards vigour similar to BBA 1, reduces the growth of the trees grafted on it by 50-60 %, is characterized with early maturity and compatible with all the varieties of the tested above mentioned crops. RVL 9 is a medium-sized and Rulan 8 semi-dwarf sweet cherry rootstocks. They have a very strong root system that provides good trees anchoring in the orchard and form root sprouting when have non-considerable mechanically damage only. Sweet cherry trees on RVL 9 are by 25-30 % and on Rulan 8 35-40 % a size smaller as compared to those grafted on cherry seedlings. The fruiting begins in the third year, the yield is high. The propagation using hard-wood cuttings, which does not require special structures, has significant advantages over others methods. It ensures the high reproduction coefficient at minimum expenditures, including manpower. Therefore just this method is the most perspective for utilizing in production. Among the zoned sweet cherry clonal rootstocks easily propagate only VSL 2, VSL 1 and L 2 are propagated easily when hard-woody cuttings are applied. The study of RVL 9 and Rulan 8 as for their ability of reproduction using the above mentioned cuttings has shown that in this respect they are close to the control standard clonal rootstock VSL 2. As a result of the breeding work which we have carried out, the clonal rootstocks Upriamiets, RVL 9 and Rulan 8 have been entered in the State Register of Breeding Achievements admissed for the application in Russian Federation.

Sweet cherry rootstocks.

All commercial sweet cherry trees are either budded or grafted. This chapter deals with sweet cherry rootstocks. Rootstocks are used for several purposes: (i) ease for propagating and producing more trees of a superior cultivar; (ii) better adaptation to particular soil or site characteristics; and (iii) the potential improvement of production due to additional traits like precocious flowering, higher productivity, and greater or reduced scion vigor as appropriate. Unfortunately, no one rootstock can satisfy all the requirements for consistently producing high yields of large, firm fruit of premium quality. Growers are advised to consider carefully the effects of each specific scion-rootstock combination as a function of environmental and cultural practices when replanting an orchard. Selecting the proper rootstock depends not only on the management skills of the grower, but also on the scion cultivar, training system, and site climate and soil selected for the orchard. Dwarfing, semi-dwarfing and even semi-vigorous rootstocks have major economic advantages over full-size rootstocks. The development of these new, precocious rootstocks has been almost as significant to the sweet cherry industry as to the apple industry several decades ago. When compared to Mazzard, Colt and even Mahaleb, size-controlling rootstocks have allowed sweet cherry growers an opportunity to plant high density, pedestrian orchards that become profitable more quickly, are more readily protected with orchard covering systems, and promote greater labor efficiency, easier management, and a safer and more productive work environment.

Sweet cherries

This book contains 12 chapters focusing on the current trends in sweet cherry production, cherry flowering, fruiting and cultivars, sweet cherry rootstocks, planning a new cherry orchard, orchard establishment and production, the fundamentals of sweet cherry pruning, various sweet cherry training systems, management of the orchard environment, fruit ripening and harvest and management of orchard pests, pathogens and disorders. The promising future of cherry production is also discussed.