ABSTRACT
Effect of rootstock and cultivar on fruit quality attributes and nutrient concentration in cherry leaves

Juan Hirzel1* and José Díaz2
 
A correct nutritional management of cherry crops has shown to be a contribution in achieving good fruit production and quality objectives, requiring nutritional standards that consider effects of rootstocks and cultivars. This study was conducted in sweet cherry (Prunus avium (L.) L.) ‘Sweet Aryana’, ‘Santina’, and ‘Regina’ commercial orchards, on three rootstocks, sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.), ‘Gisela 6’ hybrid (Prunus cerasus L. × Prunus canescens Bois), and ‘Maxma 14’ hybrid (Prunus mahaleb L. × Prunus avium), evaluating firmness, size and weight of fruits, and nutrient concentration in leaves. Fruit quality attributes of ‘Sweet Aryana’ and ‘Santina’ were not affected by rootstock, while ‘Regina’ fruit weight was 13.8% higher with ‘Maxma 14’. Fruit quality in different cultivars did not differ when using rootstock ‘Gisela 6’, while with ‘Maxma 14’ fruit weight of ‘Regina’ was 14.8% higher than ‘Santina’. ‘Sweet Aryana’ had higher concentrations of N (2.7%), P (0.27%), S (0.13%), and Cu (9.5 mg kg-1) with ‘Gisela 6’ compared to sour cherry. ‘Santina’ had the highest K concentrations (3.33%) and B (70 mg kg-1) with sour cherry, while with ‘Gisela 6’ had higher P concentrations (0.31%) and Cu (10.5 mg kg-1), and with ‘Maxma 14’ had the highest Zn concentration (19.1 mg kg-1). ‘Regina’ achieved the highest Cu concentration (9.7 mg kg-1) with ‘Maxma 14’, and the highest Mn concentration (41.4 mg kg-1) with ‘Gisela 6’. The greatest nutritional contrasts were obtained between ‘Santina’ and ‘Regina’, on ‘Gisela 6’. This recompilation of data is a valuable argument to be considered in the development of successful fertilization programs for these cultivars in commercial orchards.
Keywords: Mineral nutrition, nutritional diagnosis, Prunus avium, soil-plant relationship.
1Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, INIA Quilamapu, Chillán, Chile.
2Empresa ALSU, carretera panamericana sur, km 190, Curicó, Chile.
*Corresponding author (jhirzel@inia.cl).