Evaluation of pecan/peach interplanting systems

Abstract

Pecan ( Carya illinoensis (Wang.) K. Koch) trees spaced 12.2 m by 12.2 m were interplanted with peach trees ( Prunus persica (L.) Batsch.). Treatments consisted of: cultivar ‘Redhaven’ on Lovell rootstock planted 1- or 2-trees between pecan trees within rows; self-rooted ‘Redhaven’ trees planted to a decreasing density system between pecan trees (spaced 0.5-m in-row, alternate trees removed when crowded); self-rooted ‘Redhaven’ trees planted to a meadow orchard between pecan trees (spaced 0.5 m by 2 m, cut to 30-cm height after harvest in alternate years); no peach trees interplanted. Cumulative yield, after 4 years production, was less from the meadow-orchard system than the other systems. Fruit size was larger from the 1- and 2-tree systems than either the decreasing density or meadow-orchard systems. Pecan tree cross-sectional trunk area was greatly reduced by any peach interplantings.