Use of peach-almond hybrid rootstocks and two interstocks for the

apricot cultivar ‘Hargrand’

SAVA TABAKOV, ANTON YORDANOV *, TODOR DONKOV
Agricultural University, Department of Viticulture and Fruit Growing, 12 Mendeleev bul., Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria, *aiyordanov@abv.bg
1. ABSTRACT The possibilities of growing apricot cultivars on rootstocks with good drought resistance, lime resistance and tolerance to replant soils by
using peach and European plum interstocks were studied for four years. The results showed that the use of ‘GF677’ and ‘Garnem’ rootstocks with
interstocks of ‘Redhaven’ (Prunus persica) and ‘Stanley’ (Prunus domestica) significantly accelerated crown development of ‘Hargrand’ apricot trees due to
the strong vigour and abundant branching with wide deviation angles induced by both peach-almond hybrids. In these combinations, the number of flower
buds per linear meter on the annual shoots was significantly greater compared to the most commonly used ‘Myrobalan’ seedling (Prunus cerasifera)
rootstock which formed smaller plants alone, as well as in combination with ‘Stanley’ interstock. At the end of the study, the variants with rootstocks
‘GF677’ and ‘Garnem’ grafted with the interstock ‘Stanley’ had significantly larger stem diameters than the other combinations included in the study. The
smaller stem diameter of ‘GF677’, ‘Garnem’ and the interstock ‘Redhaven’, however, did not result in significant differences in scion thickness between
these cultivars. The first significant yield obtained in 2022 showed significantly greater productivity of the variants in which the peach-almond hybrids
‘GF677’ and ‘Garnem’ were involved compared to the commonly used ‘Myrobalan’ seedling rootstock. There was no difference in productivity under the
influence of the two interstocks. The fruit size was significantly larger in the combinations of ‘GF677’ and ‘Garnem’ with ‘Stanley’ interstock, and the
smallest fruits were obtained from trees on ‘Myrobalan’ seedling rootstock. The formation of suckers was noted only when ‘Myrobalan‘ seedling rootstock
was used.
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS The experimental orchard was established in spring 2018 in Central South Bulgaria. Apricot cultivar ‘Hargrand’ was
budded onto ‘GF 677’, ‘Garnem’ and ‘Myrobalan’ seedling rootstock. The cultivars ‘Redhaven’ and ‘Stanley’ were used as interstocks. Planting density
is 670 trees per hectare. Trees was formed as free growing crown. The experiment was set up in a randomized block design with four replications
and four plants per plot in each variant. The data were collected during the period 2019 – 2022 and were statistically processed using variance analysis and
Tukey’s test at 5% level of significance.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ‘Myrobalan’ seedling rootstock used alone or insignificant. In 2022 the most productive and
In ‘Myrobalan’ seedling rootstock the stems of with interstock. with the largest fruits was
the scion are the thinnest regardless of the use of When using the peach-almond hybrids in ‘GF677’/’Stanley’/’Hargrand’ combination,
a interstock (Table 1). At the end of the study combination with ‘Redhaven’ and ‘Stanley’ followed by the two peach-almond hybrids in
among the variants with peach-almond hybrid interstocks, the flower bud formation per linear combination with the ‘Redhaven’ interstock
rootstocks, the trees with the thickest stems were meter on the annual shoot was significantly (Table 4). ‘Myrobalan’ seedling rootstock without
where the cultivar ‘Stanley’ was used as greater compared to the variants with interstock, showed the lowest productivity.
interstock. ‘Myrobalan’ seedling rootstock (Table 3). The use Suckers were reported only in the variants with
Table 1. Trunk cross-section area (scion), (cm2) of of ‘Stanley’ as interstock in combination with Myrobalan seedling rootstock regardless of the
‘Hargrand’ budded on different ‘Myrobalan’ seedling rootstock also leads to an presence of interstock.
rootstock/interstock combinations. increase in the number of formed flower buds per The highest percentage of tree mortality was
linear meter of annual shoot. recorded when ‘Redhaven’ interstock was used
Rootstock/interst Trunk cross-section area, cm
ock 2019 2020 2021 2022 Table 2. Tree height, crown diameter and crown and the lowest with the
Myrobalan/Stanle 6.34 14.50 24.83 35.96 volume of ‘Hargrand’ budded on different ‘GF677’/’Stanley’/’Hargrand’ combination.
y
rootstock/interstock combinations. Table 3. Number of flower buds per meter of
Garnem/Stanley 9.32 23.14 40.60 49.35
GF677/Stanley 8.78 20.00 41.07 50.90 Rootstock/int Tree height, cm annual shoot of ‘Hargrand’ budded on different
Garnem/Redhave 10.07 29.24 47.35 50.60
erstock 2019 2020 2021 2022 rootstock/interstock combinations.
n Myrobalan/St 308.98 309.07 341.21 338.75
GF677/Redhaven 7.97 17.93 30.96 48.73 Rootstock/interstock 2019 2020 2021 2022
anley
Myrobalan 6.00 14.64 23.86 32.40
Garnem/Stanl 320.14 322.07 371.81 343.00
Seedling Myrobalan/Stanley 51.75 68.30 122.13 92.48
ey
LSD0.05/R0.05 2.47 5.22 7.48 6.88 Garnem/Stanley 61.48 73.50 131.90 106.65
GF677/Stanle 313.75 318.29 363.39 321.00
Crown diameter, cm
y
Myrobalan/Stanle 105.46 193.27 247.76 203.25 GF677/Stanley 63.18 82.28 144.33 184.45
Garnem/Redh 294.17 311.17 325.00 315.67
y Garnem/Redhaven 90.35 122.23 144.50 140.30
aven
Garnem/Stanley 147.65 254.29 296.66 285.50
GF677/Redha 272.44 274.78 328.34 315.58 GF677/Redhaven 95.33 124.08 197.20 198.83
GF677/Stanley 142.47 227.35 288.39 270.50
ven
Garnem/Redhave 171.25 256.87 263.78 235.00 Myrobalan Seedling 42.83 64.10 63.50 85.75
Myrobalan 292.29 308.33 339.21 333.75
n
Seedling LSD0.05/R0.05 14.41 16.29 27.16 48.65
GF677/Redhaven 165.56 229.31 276.25 248.33
LSD0.05/R0.05 41.65 34.82 29.65 31.22
Myrobalan 117.92 185.31 230.14 211.88
Crown volume, m3
Seedling
2019 2020 2021 2022
Table 4. Yield of Hargrand budded on different
LSD0.05/R0.05 11.41 33.71 23.54 18.30 rootstock/interstock combinations in 2022.
Myrobalan/St 0.74 2.46 4.57 3.00
anley
Crown diameter and tree height (Table 2) results 1.54 Garnem/Stanl
4.51 7.24 6.26 Rootstock/int Yield per Fruit Percentage of tree mortality in
show that using ‘GF677’ and ‘Garnem’ rootstocks ey erstock tree, kg weight, g the end of 2022
1.51 GF677/Stanle
3.44 6.64 4.99 Myrobalan/St 3.64 66.24 15.63
with ‘Redhaven’ and ‘Stanley’ interstocks y anley
significantly accelerated crown development of 1.87 Garnem/Redh
3.41 4.87 4.08 Garnem/Stanl 3.91 84.11 10.86
apricot cultivar ‘Hargrand’ due to the vigorous aven ey
1.51 GF677/Redha
3.56 5.36 4.45 GF677/Stanle 7.95 93.98 5.56
growth and abundant branching with wide ven y
deviation angles induced by the two peach- 0.93 Myrobalan
2.08 3.81 3.16 Garnem/Redh 7.43 70.71 23.00
almond hybrids. Seedling aven
0.31 LSD0.05/R0.05
1.17 1.12 1.01 GF677/Redha 7.22 80.04 20.33
At the end of the study peach-almond hybrid ven
rootstock regardless of interstock induced Myrobalan 2.95 62.32 16.67

stronger growth (crown volume) compared to During the period 2019 – 2021 incl. despite
Seedling
LSD0.05/R0.05 1.78 12.39
formation of flower buds the yield obtained was
4. CONCLUSION
Peach-almond hybrids regardless of the interstock induced stronger vigor compared to the variants with the participation of ‘Myrobalan’ seedling
rootstock regardless of the presence of interstock.
The use of peach-almond hybrids as rootstocks in combination with interstock resulted in higher flower bud formation per linear meter on annual shoot in
the ‘Hargrand’ apricot cultivar.
The most productive was the combination ‘GF677’/’Stanley’/’Hargrand’.
Formation of suckers was reported only in the variants with the participation of ‘Myrobalan’ seedling rootstock.
V Balkan Symposium on Fruit Growing, Zagreb, Croatia, June 18-21, 2023