Performance of plum rootstocks with 'Stanley', 'Valor', and 'Veeblue' as the Scion in the 1990 NC-140 multi-site plum trial Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • In 1990, a multi-site replicated plum (Primus domestica L.) rootstock trial was established by the Cooperative Regional Pome and Stone Fruit Project (NC-140), using 'Stanley', 'Valor', or 'Veeblue' as the scions. The trial compared vigorous and semi-vigorous peach and plum rootstocks to identify rootstock selections with improved performance for the various production areas in the United States. Marianna GF8-1 and Marianna 4001 rootstocks generally had the best survival, highest cumulative yield and cumulative yield efficiency, largest fruit size, the greatest trunk cross-sectional areas and highest numbers of root suckers, irrespective of the scion. The Oregon site was the most productive with 100% tree survival for all rootstocks, the largest trunk cross-sectional areas, the highest cumulative yields and some of the largest fruit sizes for all rootstock/scion combinations. None of the three putative dwarfing or semi-dwarfing stocks, Citation, Pixy and St. Julien A performed well in the eastern USA sites. Citation rootstock had the lowest tree survival, trunk cross-sectional area, and fruit size, at the 3 sites in the eastern USA. St. Julien A and Pixy rootstocks followed closely after Citation in low tree survival at the eastern USA sites. In contrast at Oregon, Citation had high survival and the highest yield efficiency coupled with large fruit size. No significant differences were observed between 'Valor' and 'Veeblue' scions for most variables although both had larger fruit size than 'Stanley' regardless of the rootstock. We were not able to identify any dwarfing rootstocks with the desired characteristics.

published proceedings

  • Journal of the American Pomological Society

author list (cited authors)

  • Masabni, J., Andersen, R., Azarenko, A., Brown, G., Freer, J., Hayden, R., ... Wolfe, D.

complete list of authors

  • Masabni, J||Andersen, R||Azarenko, A||Brown, G||Freer, J||Hayden, R||Hirst, P||McCluskey, B||Perry, R||Robinson, T||Wolfe, D

publication date

  • October 2007