Preliminary study of a hybrid progeny of ‘Adara’ (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.) rootstock

Abstract

In the edaphoclimatic conditions of the Region of Murcia, the recommended rootstocks for cherry orchards are ‘Mariana 2624’, ‘Mayor’, and ‘Adara’. ‘Mariana’ is not compatible with sweet cherry cultivars and has to be used with an interstock to avoid scion incompatibility. Given its good compatibility with the rootstock and with most cherry cultivars, ‘Adara’ can be used for this purpose. However, the development of new, less vigorous rootstocks for our conditions is advisable. One of the main goals of a wide majority of cherry rootstock breeding programs is to obtain a dwarfing rootstock and an increased scion precocity. Nonetheless, their adaptability to different climatic and soil conditions is considered important as well. In order to achieve these goals, fruits from an open-pollinated tree of ‘Adara’ were harvested in June 2011 in Jumilla (Murcia). In the winter of 2012, 111 hybrids were planted in the field and the colour of the leaves, spines, vigour, and growth habit were recorded. In February 2013, an assay on clonal propagation of the hybrids was carried out and 102 of them were grafted with the self-fertile cultivar ‘Newstar’. A year later, graft union and graft compatibility were classified. Finally, 29 hybrids were selected because of their good performance as sweet cherry rootstocks. Additionally, a genetic characterization was made with a group of 12 SSR. Currently, 27 trees are being grown in the field with the cultivar ‘Newstar’ to be studied over time.