Plum Production in Hungary

Peringer Bianka Panna

BSV75Z

Introduction

Plum production in Hungary dates back to the middle ages. We are known for our significant
production due to our favorable weather conditions and long history of plum cultivation.
Plums are grown in various regions of Hungary, with the most noteworthy areas being the
Great Hungarian Plain and the Northern Uplands with famous cultivars like Besztercei plum
(Prunus Domestica) and Ringló grown there.

Plums in Hungary are used in various forms, be it jam, compot, pastries and meals like plum
dumplings and of course, pálinka. Fresh consumption is not very significant, rather vestigial
compared to other European countries.

Plum production in Hungary serves both domestic consumption and export markets. The
country has been known to export plums, particularly dried plums (prunes), to various
countries around the world, though in past years there has been a significant decline in
production, landing the country at about the world's 25th plum grower.

picture source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_plum_production#/media/

File:Countries_by_plum_and_sloe_production_in_2016.png
Cultivar and rootstock selection

Some popular Hungarian plum rootstocks include the following:

Myrobalan (Prunus cerasifera): This rootstock is widely grown and is known for its
adaptability to different soil conditions. It has good resistance to root diseases and
nematodes. This makes it a popular choice for plum trees.

St Julien A (Prunus domestica): This rootstock is a cross between the myrobalan and
another type of plum, the Prunus insititia. It is known for its vigour and adaptability to
different soil types. The St Julien A rootstock is commonly used for European plum varieties.

Pixy (Prunus insititia): Pixy is a dwarfing rootstock that is used to control the size of the plum
tree. It promotes early bearing and is suitable for high-density orchards or small gardens.

Brompton (Prunus domestica): Brompton is a vigorous rootstock used for both plum and
damson trees. It is well known for its winter hardiness and its compatibility with a wide range
of plum and damson varieties.

Ensuring the proper pollinator cultivars are present in orchards is very important for higher
yields, even though some plum cultivars are self-fertile, self-sterile ones are also present.

What we need to consider during choosing pollinator cultivars could be categorized into four
sections, the most important being the blooming time which should be the same, then the
compatibility of alleles and technological needs and lastly the pollinator cultivars should also
be marketable as well as our main variety.

The following cultivars could be matched together:

Cacanska rana (self sterile) - Sermina / Silvia / Cacanska lepotica / Cacanska rodna
Cacanksa lepotica (semi self compatible) - Cacanska rana
Althann ringló (self sterile) - Cacanska rodna / Stanley / Ageni
Cacanska rodna (perfect self fertilization should be planted by itself)
Stanley (self fertile) - Ruth gerstetter / Bluefre / Ageni / Besztercei
Bluefre (self fertile) - Ruth gerstetter / Stanley / Ageni / Besztercei / President
Besztercei (perfect self sterilization, should be planted by itself)
President (self sterile) - Ruth gerstetter / Cacanska lepotica / Althann ringló / Cacanska
rodna / Stanley / Bluefre / Debreceni muskotály

Main cultivars in detail:

Cacanska rana is a cultivar that is semi-vigorous, semi-dense and has

an upright growing habit with the ripening stage occurring in mid-july.
The fruit is large at about 40-45 grams, purple, with a mild flavor and a
tendency to drop upon ripening. The tree is moderately frost hardy.
Cacanska lepotica ripens in late July. The fruit is mid sized to large,
30-45 grams, blue and mild in flavor. While the tree itself is semi-
vigorous, thin in density and has an upright growing habit. It is
sensitive to frost, but virus tolerant.

Althann ringló is intensely vigorous and has a dense canopy. It is frost

sensitive.Its fruit is large, about 40-45 grams, blue, globular and tasty
with soft flesh. The fruit is ready for picking in mid-August.

Cacanska rodna is a cultivar that ripens in late August. It has mid

sized, 25-30 grams, blue, tasty fruits. It has a dense canopy,
spreading growing habit and it is moderately frost hardy.

Stanley ripens in early September, with blue, mid.size to large, 30-40

gram fruit that has a mild taste. The tree has a semi-vigorous, upright
growing habit with a thin canopy. Its virus and frost tolerant.

Bluefre ripens in early September with extra large, 45-60 gram fruits
that are blue in color and mild in taste. The growing habit is spreading,
semi-vigorous with a thin canopy. Sensitive to frost and moderately
sensitive to viruses.

Besztercei is a cultivar that has small, 18-22 gram fruit that is blue in
color and very tasty. It ripens in early September and has a vigorous
growing habit paired with a dense canopy. It is very sensitive to
viruses but is very winter hardy.
 President is a semi-vigorous tree with an upright growing habit which
has extra large 45-55 gram, purple, mild-flavored fruit that ripens mid-
September. It is both sensitive to viruses and frost.

Tree shape training and pruning

Due to its growing characteristics and natural habits, in the case of plum, creating an
intensive canopy requires more attention than for other fruit trees. The use of free and
slender spindle forms is recommended in plantations for fresh market production. Depending
on the species, the height of the tree with a central axis and a crown with a lower supporting
arm is 2.5-3.5 m, and the height of the trunk is 80 cm. Denser planting reduces growth and
promotes fruit production. The spacing depends on the vigor of the rootstock, the row
spacing of the available machinery and the planned height of the trees. For a free rootstock,
a distance of 4.5-5.5m x 2.0-2.5m (700-1100 trees/ha) is generally recommended, for a
slender rootstock a distance of 4-4.5m x 1.5-2.0m (1100-1700 trees/ha) is recommended.

free spindle slender spindle

Diseases
Plum Pox Virus: Also known as sharka disease, is a viral infection that causes severe
damage to plum trees. It causes deformation of the fruit. This reduces fruit quality and
quantity.

Brown rot: Brown rot is a fungal disease affecting stone fruit. It causes brown, rotting spots
to appear on the fruit, and the rot can spread rapidly in warm and humid conditions.

Plum leaf curl: Plum leaf curl is caused by a fungus called Taphrina deformans. It affects the
leaves of plum trees, causing them to curl, turn red and become distorted. Infected trees
may have reduced fruit production.

Plum black knot: Black knot is a fungal disease. It is caused by the fungus Apiosporina
morbosa. It appears on the branches of plum trees as hard, black, swollen growths. It can
weaken and eventually kill the tree if left untreated.

Plum pocket: Plum pocket is a fungal disease caused by Taphrina communis. Instead of
normal fruit, the fruit develops enlarged, distorted and pocket-like structures. Fruit affected
by this disease is usually inedible.

Bacterial canker: Bacterial canker is a disease caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas

syringae. It causes sunken, dark spots on the bark and branches of plum trees. In severe
cases it can wilt and kill branches, causing the tree to die.

Powdery mildew: Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects many fruit trees, including
plums. It appears as a white, powdery coating on the leaves, on the shoots and on the fruit.
Severe infection can be the cause of leaf drop and a reduction in fruit quality.

Soil management

In terms of soil requirements, it is a less demanding plant. It thrives both in loose or

compacted, and acidic or chalky soils. It prefers deep, heterogeneous soils with a high
humus content. It needs good water and air drainage. It has a high tolerance to soil pH, but
grows best in slightly acidic and neutral soils, with an optimum pH between 6.2 and 8.2. It
may suffer from iron chlorosis in chalky soils. It has a relatively high water requirement. Soil
water depth is important, especially in areas of low rainfall. As most of the root system is
near the soil surface, it tolerates high soil water levels well. Waterlogging can cause
damage. However, because of its shallow root system, it also quickly becomes sensitive to
water shortages.

To ensure rapid initial development, it is advisable to perform tilling in the 3-4 years after
planting and to keep the rows weed-free by ground covering. Shallow loosening can prevent
the soil from crusting and the deeper soil layers from drying out. In compacted soils, deeper
loosening may also be necessary, to improve porosity, water retention and soil life, and help
root permeability. Later on the rows are kept weed-free by lateral tillage equipment or by
mulching.
Irrigation and fertilization

High yields would require about 700 mm of rainfall per year. The greatest demand for water
is during the spring growing season. Both environmental factors and soil moisture play a role
in determining the water requirements of the trees.

It is a fruit species with high nitrogen and potassium requirements. Insufficient supply will
result in poor bud development, reduced shoot growth and possible fruit drop. Phosphorus
requirements are moderate. High doses of phosphorus are not normally needed. Pre-
planting fertilisation is recommended with organic fertiliser and a mixture of macro and
micronutrients calculated on the basis of soil analysis. Nitrogen, potassium and macro-
nutrients are replenished through the soil. For micronutrients, topical fertilisation is
recommended but can also be applied through the soil.

Harvest methods

Harvest methods differ by consumption, fresh market requires hand picking, while fruit
picked for further processing could be harvested by machinery.

Resources

plum pictures and information about cultivars:

https://kerteszetszolnok.eu/termekeink/gyumolcsfa-csemetek/szilva/

http://palinkaabc.hu/szilvakringlok?printable=1

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
307935018_A_szilva_muvelesi_rendszereinek_fejlodese_Magyarorszagon

https://mygardenlife.com/recipes-edibles/pollination-charts-for-fruit-bearing-trees-and-shrubs

https://www.nak.hu/tajekoztatasi-szolgaltatas/mezogazdasagi-termeles/93078-a-szilva-
korszeru-muvelesi-rendszere-es-termesztestechnologiaja

https://www.gardenfocused.co.uk/fruitarticles/plums/pest-disease.php

https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/Fact-Sheets/Plant-Pathology/Disease-Contol-for-Home-Plum-
Orchards

pictures of pruning forms:

https://tudasbazis.sulinet.hu/hu/szakkepzes/mezogazdasag/kerteszeti-alapismeretek/a-
gyumolcstermo-novenyek-koronaformai/a-gyumolcsfak-koronaformai
http://safru.hu/gyumolcsfak-koronaformai