Influence of crown formation method on development of the apple trees in the nursery.

Abstract

Investigations were conducted in 2008 - 2009 in Nur sery Fruit Company Codru-ST Ltd., which is located in the centre of Moldova. As objects of research were used apple varieties Idared, Golden Reinders and Gala Must and were bench-grafted on rootstocks M 9. Planting distance was 90x35 cm. On the basis of the research made it was found that the height of the bench-grafted apple trees constitute 109 - 124 cm, the diameter a t 10 cm above the place of grafting is 8.3 - 9.4 mm and, respectively, the leaf surface is 0.20 - 0.27 m 2 /tree. Bioconstructive parameters of apple trees in the second field of the nursery correspond to the c urrent standard of the Republic of Moldova. The trees height was between 180.0 - 187.5 cm. Trunk di ameter at 10 cm above the graft's place was 15.00-16.33 mm. The highest number of normal branches was obtained from Gala Must cultivar (4.00 - 4.50 pcs/tree), but the lowest values of this ind icator was at Idared cultivar (3.50 - 4.00 pcs/tree ). The obtained number of sylleptic shoots on the central axle after once and twice spraying with Arbolin 036 SL 15 ml litre -1 of water is by about 400 % and respectively to 825 % higher than the control. The investigations made demonstrate that superior value s of apple trees in the first and second fields of the fruit nursery were registered at the variety of per spective Gala Must, whose vigor of growth and capacity to emit sylleptic shoots is greater in com parison with the Idared variety, homologated in the Republic of Moldova.