Abstract
Data concerning the effect of spring frosts on the survival of flower buds of several apple and pear cultivars, as well as on the damage caused by spring frosts to apple fruit are presented in the present paper. Observations were conducted in experimental and commercial orchards in the Lublin area in the years 2000, 2005 and 2007. The lowest temperature in spring in the consecutive years occurred on the following dates: 2000 - 3<sup>rd</sup> and 4<sup>th</sup> May, 2005 - 1<sup>st</sup> April and 22<sup>nd</sup> May, and 2007 - 2<sup>nd</sup> and 4<sup>th</sup> May. The most serious damages of buds were found in apple trees of Red Boskoop, Rubin and Jonagold cvs. grown in the experimental orchard in Felin (Lublin) (this was an average value for the years 2000 and 2007), whereas the buds of the late flowering cultivars of Golden Delicious Smoothee, Royal Gala and Ligol survived with significantly lesser damages. These observations generally confirmed those made in commercial orchards in 2005 and 2007, in which buds of cv. Elise also showed high resistance to spring frosts. Pear trees of cv. Concorde showed low damage to flower buds in 2007 and produced a reasonably good crop. Fruits of cv. Jonagold and its mutations Wilmuta, Jonica, Decosta and Rubinstar proved to be very sensitive to spring frosts, as well as fruits of cv. Lired. The positive influence of the Polish rootstock P60 on flower bud survival was observed in the year 2000. However, this was not confirmed in 2007, thus further observations are necessary to check these effects.
Highlights
Spring frosts – their causes, occurrence, damage they cause in orchards and methods of prevention – are the subject of numerous scientific and popular studies
This could have been an effect of the location of the trees growing on that rootstock, the same cultivars growing on rootstock P59, the row, displayed the most extensive frost damage
In the orchard at the Felin EF, significant differentiations were found among the cultivars in the response of flower buds to spring frost
Summary
Spring frosts – their causes, occurrence, damage they cause in orchards and methods of prevention – are the subject of numerous scientific and popular studies. Extensive information on the subject has been presented recently by Hołubowicz (2006) and Treder (2008). Spring frosts and their effects in the region of Podkarpacie have been described by Kołodziejczak and M i k a (1984/1985), and in the Lublin region – by Lipecki et al (1991) and more recently by L i p a et al (2007). The objective of this study was to determine the effect of spring frosts on flower buds and fruits of apple and pear trees on the example of several orchards in the region of Lublin. The studies were conducted in the orchard at the Experimental Farm at Felin (Part I) as well as in several production orchards (Part II)
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