Comparative study of apple plantations on seed and clonal stocks in the steppe zone of the Southern Urals
Authors: Merezhko O. E. , Borisova A. A. , Aminova E. V. 
Published: June 2021

In recent years, Russian gardeners have become interested in apple seed stocks, since they are indispensable for growing planting material of the highest quality categories for the purpose of setting up mother-cuttings, nurseries of clonal stocks and intensive orchards intended for obtaining organic products. The advantage of apple seed stocks is not only in a powerful root system and resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors, but also in the absence of a harmful viral infection from which almost all clonal stocks in Russia suffer. The opinion that trees are more vigorous on seed stocks, and orchards later enter in the fruiting period is erroneous, since there are developed technologies that make it possible the establishment of intensive apple tree plantations that enter the fruiting period 2 years after grafting. Among the apple clonal stocks, the intensively propagated form 54-118 is characterized by good anchoring and winter hardiness. Due to the lack of scientific data on the comparative study of seed and clonal stocks in the context of scion/stock combinations, we have begun a long-term study in order to identify the most promising of them in terms of early fruitfulness and high productivity. Long-term studies were carried out on the basis of the Orenburg branch of the Federal Horticultural Research Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery from 2000 to 2020. The analysis of the results of the tests carried out shows that all the plantings on stocks 54-118 and 64-143 turned out to be early fruitfulness, and the stocks were suitable for intensive gardening, since the varieties grafted on them have a restrained growth force and a compact crown. The smallest height from 1.9 to 2.8 m was noted in trees on the 54-118 stock, on the 64-143 stock this parameter, depending on the variety, varied from 3.2 to 3.8 m. The largest crown diameter (over 3.0 m) and the largest projection area of the crown had plantings of all varieties on the seed stock of Purple Ranetka. The yield of apple tree plantations on stock 54-118 varied from 10.4 (Serebryanoe Kopitce variety) to 14.1 t/ha (Chudnoe variety), and revenue from the sale of products from 1 ha ranged from 263.1 to 356.7 thousand rubles. The highest profitability on clonal stock 54-118 was distinguished by perennial plantations of the Chudnoe variety (83.8 %). On stock 64-143, the yield of plantings varied from 10.2 t / ha (Serebryanoe Kopitce variety) to 13.5 t / ha (Chudnoe variety), the proceeds from the sale of products per hectare also varied from 258.1 thousand rubles. up to 341.5 thousand rubles. The highest profitability of production was noted in the plantations on the stock 64-143 of the variety Mechtatelnitsa (82.2 %). The average yield of apple varieties grafted on the seed stock of Purple Ranetka ranged from 8.2 (variety Letnee Polosatoe (K) to 9.3 t / ha (variety Serebryanoe Kopitce); high profitability of production was distinguished by plantings of the variety Mechtatelnitsa on ranetka purpurovaya (16.3 %).