The performance of Adara as a cherry rootstock

Abstract

The field performance of Adara ( Prunus cerasifera L.), SL 64 ( Prunus mahaleb) and Colt ( Prunus avium X Prunus pseudocerasus) rootstocks grafted with two sweet cherry cultivars ( Prunus avium L. cvs. ‘Van’ and ‘Tardif de Vignola’), were tested for 12 years on a calcareous clay-loam soil which was flood irrigated. No tree grafted on Adara died during the experiment. The percentage of dead trees of ‘Tardif de Vignola’ on SL 64 and Colt reached 63% and 19%, respectively. The percentage of dead trees of ‘Van’ was 19% when grafted on SL 64 and 6% on Colt. For ‘Van’ scion, Adara was the most invigorating rootstock and showed the greatest yield efficiency and cumulative production after 12 years. For ‘Tardif de Vignola’ scion, Adara also gave greater cumulative production, mean fruit weight, and vigour than SL 64 and Colt. Leaf mineral analysis of ‘Van’ trees showed a mineral element concentration closer to the optimum for the trees grafted on Adara than for those grafted on SL 64 and Colt. According to our results, Adara seems to be a suitable rootstock for cherry cultivars to avoid root asphyxia in heavy soils and/or under flood irrigation conditions, where other rootstocks fail to survive. Similarly, it also performs well in calcareous soils, which are not favourable for other cherry rootstocks.