Effect of tree conduce on the precocity, yield and fruit quality in apricot on acidic soil

Abstract

The experiment was carried out in the experimental orchard in Prislonica near Cacak (Western Serbia) on poor and acidic soil in 2008 and 2009 (second and third year after planting) to determine the effects of Mirobalan rootstock and Blackthorn interstocks with Open vase and Central leader tree conduce system on the length of shoot (LS), trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA), yield (Y), yield efficiency (YE), fruit weight (FW), soluble solids content (SS), titratable acidity (TA) and soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio or ripening index (SS/TA = RI). In the trial there were 5 trees from each apricot rootstock-cultivar and rootstock-interstock-cultivar combination in four replications. The analysis of variance was done in a completely randomized design. The treatment means were compared using LSD test at p ≤ 0.05. Based on the results of this work, the Myrobalan rootstock with Open vase tree conduce induced a high vigorous of apricot trees and higher fruit weight. The Blackthorn interstock with Central leader tree conduce induced a less vigorous tree, higher yield and yield efficiency, and may be better suited for high-density plantings. Also, this interstock showed the higher SS/TA ratio when compared with Myrobalan rootstock. Other fruit quality traits, such as soluble solids content and titratable acidity were similar and respectable in both variant under poor and acidic soil conditions.