Growth and yielding of ‘Schatenmorelle’ cherry trees on two rootstocks

Abstract

The strength of growth of ‘Łutówka’ trees was related to the rootstock. In Sandomierska Plateau on fertile soil the trees budded  on Mahaleb seedling grow worse forming by 13%  thinner trunks for yunger trees and by 41% (significantly) thinner for older one compared to Mazzard cherry trees. Trees on Mahaleb seedling formed significantly smaller crowns than on Mazzard in both studied groups of age. Rootstock had no significant influence on the yielding and fruit mass of cultivar ‘Łutówka’. Fruit cracking and damage by fungus were independed of the rootstock. Trees which were planted in 1995 year shows bigger fruit cracking and fungus damage than those planted in 2001. Fruit cracking depended on weather condition and in 2004 after the rainly period the fruits maturity was significantly bigger than in the next years.