plum rootstock trials in Geneva - New York State Horticultural Society

earliest ripening fruit was Krymsk 1 (=VVA-1). A third
experiment has a Japanese diploid scion, NY 61J, on eight
rootstocks. This rootstock group includes the same seven
stocks as for Empress plus American plum. In these two trials
with diploid scions, the three smaller stocks in both cases were
Jaspi, Krymsk 1, and Torinel. Under the Obilinaja scion,
Krymsk 1 produced no suckers in 2005, whereas under the
NY 61J scion, Krymsk 1 suckered quite heavily. This probably
reflects much greater winter cold injury to the trunks of the
NY 61J scion. The NY 61J scion on Torinel had less winter
injury than on Krymsk 1 and also fewer suckers. Trees on
Torinel were 60-75% smaller than on vigorous stocks, which
is similar to the dwarfing level shown by Krymsk 1.
Our fourth plum rootstock experiment planted in 2002,
contrasts the semi-dwarfing St. Julien stock, GF 655-2 to the
full vigor Mariana GF 8-1, under three European plum scions.
Contrary to our expectations, the GF 8-1 stock outperformed
the GF 655-2 in both yield and yield efficiency.
Figure 1. Obilinaja plum trees on three new rootstocks. Krymsk 1 on right,
Cadaman in center and Ishtara on left.
Additional Rootstock Candidates
for Future Consideration
California researchers plan to
introduce a new Mariana stock, (M 40) in
the near future. This stock is reported to
be very similar to M 2624 but with many
fewer suckers. This stock and other
Mariana types have similar susceptibility
to brown line decline of Mariana 2624.
Ted DeJong and others in California
recently named two new dwarfing stocks,
Controller 5 and Controller 9, which may
have promise under plums since they are
both peach by plum hybrids. We have
Controller 5 in our peach rootstock trial in
Geneva. It is dwarfing to about 50% of
Lovell size and it has shown much better
cold hardiness than Lovell (see peach
rootstock article in the last issue). We do
not know the cold hardiness of Controller
9. Hiawatha is another new stock to try
under plums in the east. It was bred in
South Dakota as a scion variety which
tolerates the prairie states’ winters. It has
shown considerable promise in California
as a rootstock that is intermediate in its
dwarfing between Controller 5 and
Controller 9.
References
DeJong, T.M. et al., 2005. Research yields
size-controlling rootstocks for
peach production. California Agriculture
59: 80-83.
Mircetich, S.M., and J.W. Hoy. 1981.
Brownline of prune trees, a disease
associated with tomato ringspot virus
infection of Myrobalan and
peach rootstocks. Phytopathology 71
(1) 30-35.
Ogawa, J.M. et al., eds. 1995. Compendium
of Stone Fruit Diseases, APS Press,
Minnesota.
Okie, W.R. 1987. Plum Rootstocks –
Chapter 10 in: Rootstocks for Fruit
Crops, ed. by Roy C. Rom and Robert
F. Carlson. John Wiley & Sons.
New York.
Ramsdell, D.C. et al.. 1998. A Study of
Tomato Ringspot Virus and Prune
Brown Line Resistance in Twentyfive
Rootstock-Scion Combinations.
Hort Technology 8 (3) 349-353.
Wertheim, S.J. 1998. Rootstock Guide –
Apple, Pear, Cherry, European
Plum. Fruit Research Station,
Wilhelminadorp, The Netherlands.
144 pp.
Westwood, M.N. 1993. Temperate Zone
Pomology. Timber Press. Portland,
Oregon.
Robert Andersen is a recently retired
emeritus professor of Horticulture at
Cornell’s Geneva Experiment Station who
specializes in the breeding and culture of
stone fruits. He led Cornell’s breeding,
culture and extension program on stone
fruits from 1990 to 2005. Jay Freer is a
research technician that works with Terence
Robinson and Bob Andersen. Terence
Robinson is a research and extension
professor at Cornell’s Geneva Experiment
Station who leads Cornell’s research and
extension program in high density orchard
systems.
28 NEW YORK STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY