INFLUENCE OF THE ROOTSTOCKS PRUNUS MAHALEB SEEDLING,

'MAXMA 14' AND 'GISELA 6' ON THE COURSE OF SOME PHENOPHASES

AND DORMANCY IN SWEET CHERRY CULTIVARS
ANTON YORDANOV *, SAVA TABAKOV, TODOR DONKOV
Agricultural University, Department of Viticulture and Fruit Growing, 12 Mendeleev bul., Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria, *aiyordanov@abv.bg

1. ABSTRACT The influence of rootstocks Prunus mahaleb seedling, 'MaxMa 14' and 'GiSelA 6' on the course of different phenophases in sweet cherry
cultivars ‘Burlat’, ‘Van’ and ‘Katalin’ was studied in the period of full bearing over four growing seasons. The experimental orchard was established in 2014
in South Bulgaria near the town of Plovdivin a typical cherry-growing region with relatively low fertile soil with drip irrigation provided. The obtained
results showed that the rootstock 'GiSelA 6' significantly delay the flowering and ripening period of the cultivars includedin the study. Contrary to the
common belief that fruit trees have no visible development during the dormancy period, we noted that rootstocks Prunus mahaleb seedling and 'MaxMa
14' had significantly increased their diameter compared to 'GiSelA 6' during the dormant period. Activity in the dormant period was also presented in the
cultivars. During this period they increased their diameter more intensively when grafted on Prunus mahaleb seedling and 'MaxMa 14' than if they were
combined with the rootstock 'GiSelA 6' and thus form significantly thicker stems. In the three cultivars included in the study, the weakly growing rootstock
'GiSelA 6' induced 25-30 days earlier end of vegetation compared to Prunus mahaleb seedling, and the rootstock 'MaxMa 14' took an intermediate
position in this parameter.

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS The experimental orchard was established in spring of 2014. The rootstocks Prunus mahaleb seedling, ‘MaxMa 14’
and ‘GiSelA 6’ were budded with ‘Burlat’, ‘Van’ and ‘Katalin’ – cultivars with different ripening time. The study was conducted in South Bulgaria near the
town of Plovdiv in a typical cherry-growing region with relatively low fertile soil. One-year-old nursery trees were planted at a density of 570 trees per
hectare. The experiment was set up in a randomized block design with four replications and four plants per plot in each variant. During the period 2019 –
2022 the data were statistically processed using variance analysis and Tukey’s test at 5% level of significance.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ‘Burlat’ is the
earliest to flowering, and ‘Katalin’ is the latest. Table 2. Dates of beginning and end of vegetation Table 3. Diameter of rootstock and scion, mm.
The rootstock ‘GiSelA 6' delays beginning of of three sweet cherry cultivars budded on different Rootstocks Rootstock diameter Scion diameter
Rootstocks Beginning of vegetation End of vegetation
flowering by three to five days in all cultivars. rootstocks. Autumn 2018 Autumn 2022 Autumn 2018 Autumn
2022
Under the conditions of the trail, the cultivars 2019 2020 2021 2022 2019 2020 2021 2022
grafted on pr. Mahaleb seedling and ‘MaxMa 14' cultivar ‘Burlat’
rootstocks have the same flowering time. The cultivar ‘Burlat’
Pr. mahaleb 131.05 203.30 121.75 196.50
duration of flowering is another important Pr. mahaleb 22.0 30.0 03.0 31.0 10.1 12.1 14.1 18.1 seedling
seedling 3 3 4 3 1 1 1 1
characteristic of it. In the present study, the
MaxMa 14 103.95 137.00 99.20 150.50
duration of full flowering was not affected by the MaxMa 14 22.0 30.0 03.0 31.0 21.1 22.1 23.1 26.1 GiSelA 6 75.10 100.50 92.75 136.40
rootstocks used. 3 3 4 3 0 0 0 0
LSD0.05/R0.05 4.39 7.33 3.13 17.23
All cultivars grafted on 'GiSelA 6' matured three to GiSelA 6 27.0 02.0 06.0 04.0 15.1 17.1 16.1 17.1
3 3 4 4 0 0 0 0 cultivar ‘Van’
five days later, while on Pr. mahaleb seedling and
Pr. mahaleb 126.50 195.80 110.50 180.10
'MaxMa 14' the harvest time was the same (Table cultivar ‘Van’
seedling
1). Table 1. Dates of fruit ripening of three sweet Pr. mahaleb 22.0 30.0 03.0 31.0 11.1 14.1 15.1 19.1
seedling 3 3 4 3 1 1 1 1
cherry cultivars budded on different rootstocks. MaxMa 14 84.35 116.40 86.90 138.15

Rootstocks 2019 2020 2021 2022 GiSelA 6 69.35 91.50 75.55 122.55
MaxMa 14 22.0 30.0 03.0 31.0 22.1 25.1 26.1 30.1
3 3 4 3 0 0 0 0 LSD0.05/R0.05 9.65 7.02 4.88 7.34
cultivar ‘Burlat’
Pr. mahaleb 16.05 16.05 20.05 23.05 GiSelA 6 27.0 02.0 06.0 04.0 15.1 17.1 17.1 20.1 cultivar ‘Katalin’
seedling 3 3 4 4 0 0 0 0
Pr. mahaleb 119.95 180.60 103.25 150.20
seedling
MaxMa 14 16.05 16.05 20.05 23.05 cultivar ‘Katalin’
Pr. mahaleb 29.0 07.0 07.0 05.0 19.1 20.1 22.1 25.1
MaxMa 14 86.70 117.40 84.35 117.40
GiSelA 6 19.05 21.05 25.05 28.05 seedling 3 4 4 4 1 1 1 1
cultivar ‘Van’ GiSelA 6 58.90 77.30 77.15 105.50
Pr. mahaleb 30.05 31.05 03.06 08.06 MaxMa 14 29.0 07.0 07.0 05.0 04.1 06.1 09.1 12.1 LSD0.05/R0.05 7.24 9.01 8.73 13.03
seedling 3 4 4 4 1 1 1 1

GiSelA 6 02.0 12.0 12.0 09.0 31.1 30.1 01.1 30.1

Contrary to common belief that fruit trees have no
MaxMa 14 30.05 31.05 03.06 08.06
4 4 4 4 0 0 1 0 visible development during the dormancy period,
GiSelA 6 04.06 05.06 08.06 12.06 we noted that rootstocks Prunus mahaleb seedling
cultivar ‘Katalin’ and ‘MaxMa 14’ had significantly increased their
Pr. mahaleb 12.06 09.06 12.06 14.06 Pr. mahaleb seedling rootstock has the largest diameter compared to ‘GiSelA 6’ during the
seedling diameter and induces the thickest stems of the dormant period. The data show that during the
grafted cultivars. As expected, in 'GiSelA 6' the dormant period, as opposed to the vegetaton
MaxMa 14 12.06 09.06 12.06 14.06
diameters were the smallest at the end of the period, all scions increased their diameter faster
GiSelA 6 16.06 14.06 16.06 18.06 study (Table 3). From the results in Table 4, it then the roostocks on which they were grafted.
In the three cultivars included in the study, the seems that when using the rootstocks 'GiSelA 6' The rootstock ‘MaxMa 14’ forms the highest
and 'MaxMa 14' the scion diameter increased percentage of its total diameter increasing during
weakly growing rootstock 'GiSelA 6' induced 25-30
faster than that of the rootstocks during the study the winter months, which is due to its unstable
days earlier end of vegetation compared to Prunus
period. In the combination ‘Katalin’/Pr. mahaleb, behavior during the dormant period. All rootstocks
mahaleb seedling, and the rootstock 'MaxMa 14' the rootstock increased its diameter faster than
included in the study increased their diameter by
took an intermediate position in this parameter that of the scion, while in combination with ‘Van’ the highest percentage during the winter period,
(Table 2). and ‘Burlat’ the results are very close. when the cultivar ‘Van’ was grafted onto them.

4. CONCLUSION
Rootstocks affect flowering period without affecting flowering duration and sequence between cultivars.
Rootstocks affect ripening time of cultivars involved in the study.
Rootstocks and scions increase their diameter throughout the year, even during the dormant period.
In the dormant period, 'MaxMa 14' rootstock grows by the highest percentage.

V Balkan Symposium on Fruit Growing, Zagreb, Croatia, June 18-21, 2023