Fruit Tree Nurseries Research Articles

The Response of the Mycobiome to the Biofumigation of Replanted Soil in a Fruit Tree Nursery

The Response of the Mycobiome to the Biofumigation of Replanted Soil in a Fruit Tree Nursery

Agro-technological aspects of growing branched annual apple nursery plants

The article presents an analytical review of Russian publications reporting the results of studies that search for optimal ways to affect apple plants in order to obtain branched annual plants. Since it has been proved that nursery plants of a certain age and quality are preferable for each type of intensive planting, as their use promotes the early maturity of trees thus ensuring a quick economic return on capital investments, it is currently relevant to study the production of apple tree planting material with specified biometric parameters. The use of mechanical impact on the above-ground part of grafted plants to suppress apical dominance is considered; the effectiveness of stimulating premature shoots in the crown area is confirmed. Much attention is paid by researchers to the chemical treatments of plants in the fields of fruit tree nurseries to improve the quality of annual plants. The use of cytokinin preparations and gibberellic acids is shown to be highly effective. The maximum effect on obtaining branched annual plants in most works was achieved in pomological apple varieties that are prone to the formation of premature shoots, with the budding on vegetatively propagated rootstocks of a first-grade commercial variety at a height of over 15 cm above the soil surface. One of the alternative ways of obtaining branched annual plants is wood grafting in spring and cultivation both in the field and in protected ground with a root-ball system. According to most researchers, the greatest effectiveness of the combined use of various techniques can be achieved only with strict adherence to conventional technologies for each method of cultivation.

Biofumigation Treatment Using Tagetes patula, Sinapis alba and Raphanus sativus Changes the Biological Properties of Replanted Soil in a Fruit Tree Nursery

Apple replant disease (ARD) may cause significant losses both in commercial orchards and in fruit tree nurseries. The negative effects of ARD may be limited by using biofumigation. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of this treatment on the biological properties of replanted soil in a tree nursery. In two-year experiment, apple trees of the ‘Golden Delicious’ cultivar were used. The trees were planted into soil from two sites. The soil from one site had not been used in a nursery before (crop rotation soil). The other soil had been used for the production of apple trees (replanted soil). Three species of plants were used in the replanted soil as a forecrop: French marigold (Tagetes patula), white mustard (Sinapis alba), and oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus var. oleifera). The following parameters were assessed in the experiment: the enzyme and respiratory activity of the soil, the total count of bacteria, fungi, oomycetes and actinobacteria in the soil, as well as the count and species composition of soil nematodes. The vegetative growth parameters of the apple trees were also assessed. The biological properties of the replanted soil were worse than those of the crop rotation soil. In the replanted soil, the organic matter content, enzyme and respiratory activity as well as the count of soil microorganisms were lower. The biofumigants, used as a forecrop on the replanted soil, significantly increased its enzyme activity and respiratory activity. Dehydrogenase activity increased more than twofold. Growth parameters of the trees were significantly improved. The height of the trees increased by more than 50%, and the leaf area, weight and total length of side shoots were higher as well. The density of nematodes in the replanted soil after biofumigation was significantly reduced, with a larger reduction in the marigold fumigated soil. Eight of the eleven nematode species were completely reduced in the first year after biofumigation treatment.

Irrigation and Fertilization: A Comprehensive Analysis of Their Influences on Qualitative Indices in Two Plum Varieties

The chief aim of this study is to provide information regarding the value and effectiveness of localized irrigation applied to plum trees grown in nurseries; this study also emphasizes how irrigation impacts various qualitative indices in the context of different fertilization treatments. By increasing production in the nursery, the application of differentiated rules for fertilization and irrigation is expected to yield vigorous, healthy fruit tree planting material. As in the case of all cultivated plants, fruit trees in nurseries are primarily dependent on soil and climatic conditions. This research was carried out in a private fruit tree nursery in the northwestern part of Romania. The soil taxonomic unit identified on the research field was arable, weakly glaciated loamy clay on fluvial deposits. The two plum cultivars that were studied were Stanley and Cacanska Lepotica, both of which are valued for the high caliber of their fruit. This research was conducted using a 4 × 2 × 4 trifactorial experiment, with irrigation acting as the primary factor, cultivar as the secondary factor, and fertilization as the tertiary factor. During this research, the fertilization treatments proved to have the most significant impact (34.50%) on stem diameter compared with irrigation (20.67%) and cultivar (5.63%), given that the cultivar had no discernible influence on the increase in the diameters of the grafted trees.

The Effect of Biofumigation on the Microbiome Composition in Replanted Soil in a Fruit Tree Nursery

The imbalance of the soil microbiome is a primary indicator of ARD (apple replant disease). Biofumigation is a treatment that enables the restoration of microbiome balance. This study involved an analysis of the taxonomic and functional diversity of bacterial communities in replanted soil (ARD), in replanted soils with forecrops of French marigold (Tagetes patula L.), white mustard (Sinapis alba), and oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus var. oleifera), and in agricultural soil. The biofumigation treatment with phytosanitary plants changed the structure and abundance of the replanted soil microbiome in a fruit tree nursery. The count of operational taxonomic units (OTU) of the Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Patescibacteria, Chloroflexi, and Verrucomicrobiota phyla increased, whereas the count of the Firmicutes, Acidobacteriota, and Actinobacteriota phyla decreased. Biofumigation caused an increase in the content of some dominant bacterial genera, such as Flavobacterium, Massila, Sphingomonas, Arenimonas, and Devosia, in the replanted soil. Their presence in the soil may improve the growth of plants, induce their systemic resistance, and thus improve the production properties of soil with ARD. The research results led to the conclusion that the use of phytosanitary plants in nursery production can be an effective alternative to the chemical fumigation of soil.

Refrigeration Potential of Fruit Trees Introduced in West Georgia

The paper explores the challenges related to the development of agricultural technology services in the humid subtropical region of Georgia, with a focus on the Gvara-Khutsubani demonstration nursery of fruit tree crops, which tests both introduced and local varieties of fruit trees and subtropical crops. This contributes to the diversification of the gene pool of these crops in the region. Additionally, this initiative has the potential to increase the value chain and export refrigeration capacity of the fruit tree nursery.

The Use of Organic Additives for Replanted Soil in Apple Tree Production in a Fruit Tree Nursery

How soil is used affects its production characteristics in the future. Under ARD (Apple Replant Disease) conditions, replanted soil’s physical, chemical and biological properties deteriorate. Their improvement is possible through, for example, increasing the content of organic matter in the soil. The study aimed to assess the effect of two organic additives for replanted soil on its physical, chemical and biological properties, as well as on the vegetative growth of apple trees of the ‘Gala Schniga SchniCo(s)’ cultivar grafted on M.9 rootstock. The experiment was performed in 2021, in western Poland, on a nursery farm. The trees were planted in pots filled with soil from two stations: soil previously used for the production of apple trees (replanted soil) and nursery material (agricultural soil) unused for production so far. To fertilise it, three different portions of biocarbon and Carbomat Eco soil conditioner were added to the replanted soil. The experiment showed that apple trees grown on replanted soil had fewer side shoots, a smaller leaf area and a lower mass of leaves than those grown on agricultural soil. Furthermore, supplementation of replanted soil with organic additives caused a significant increase in its enzymatic activity and respiration, increased the rate of photosynthesis and improved several parameters determining the strength of vegetative growth in apple trees.

Identification of Candidate Genes Associated With Tolerance to Apple Replant Disease by Genome-Wide Transcriptome Analysis.

Apple replant disease (ARD) is a worldwide economic risk in apple cultivation for fruit tree nurseries and fruit growers. Several studies on the reaction of apple plants to ARD are documented but less is known about the genetic mechanisms behind this symptomatology. RNA-seq analysis is a powerful tool for revealing candidate genes that are involved in the molecular responses to biotic stresses in plants. The aim of our work was to find differentially expressed genes in response to ARD in Malus. For this, we compared transcriptome data of the rootstock ‘M9’ (susceptible) and the wild apple genotype M. ×robusta 5 (Mr5, tolerant) after cultivation in ARD soil and disinfected ARD soil, respectively. When comparing apple plantlets grown in ARD soil to those grown in disinfected ARD soil, 1,206 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified based on a log2 fold change, (LFC) ≥ 1 for up– and ≤ −1 for downregulation (p < 0.05). Subsequent validation revealed a highly significant positive correlation (r = 0.91; p < 0.0001) between RNA-seq and RT-qPCR results indicating a high reliability of the RNA-seq data. PageMan analysis showed that transcripts of genes involved in gibberellic acid (GA) biosynthesis were significantly enriched in the DEG dataset. Most of these GA biosynthesis genes were associated with functions in cell wall stabilization. Further genes were related to detoxification processes. Genes of both groups were expressed significantly higher in Mr5, suggesting that the lower susceptibility to ARD in Mr5 is not due to a single mechanism. These findings contribute to a better insight into ARD response in susceptible and tolerant apple genotypes. However, future research is needed to identify the defense mechanisms, which are most effective for the plant to overcome ARD.

The Effects of Bioinoculants Based on Mycorrhizal and Trichoderma spp. Fungi in an Apple Tree Nursery under Replantation Conditions

Both mycorrhizal and Trichoderma spp. fungi are known for antagonistic effects against certain biological pathogens causing apple replant disease (ARD). The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the bioinoculants based on endomycorrhizal and Trichoderma spp. fungi on the biological properties of soil as well as the parameters of the apple tree growths in a fruit tree nursery under replantation conditions. A two-year experiment was conducted on Jonagold apple trees grafted on to M.9 rootstock in western Poland. The trees were planted in the replant soil—from areas used for the production of apple trees, and in the crop rotation soil, that had not been used for nursery purposes before. A mycorrhizal inoculum and preparations containing Trichoderma spp. fungi were applied to the replant soil. Biological properties of the soil and the growth of the aerial and underground parts of the apple trees were assessed. The enzymatic (dehydrogenases and protease) and respiratory activity of the replant soil was significantly lower than that of the crop rotation soil. The apple trees grew worse when exposed to the ARD conditions. The effectiveness of applied bioinoculants in mitigating the effects of replantation in the nursery were shown. Both the treatment mycorrhization and the application of bioinoculants containing Trichoderma spp. increased the respiratory and enzymatic activity of the replant soil. The growth of the root system and the aerial parts of the trees (including leaves) was much better after the combined use of both types of fungi than in the replant soil that had not received the fungal treatment.

Broadening Histories of Designed Landscapes: The Case of the Gembrook Nurseries and the Dandenong Ranges/Koran Warrabin Range

ABSTRACT This article examines how complex food production systems developed by Kulin Nation people over centuries in the physical landscape around Emerald, in the Dandenong /Koran Warrabin Range/s east of Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) were transformed in the late nineteenth century, through colonisation and, especially, the operations of C. A. Nobelius’ Gembrook Nurseries, into the largest commercial fruit tree nursery in the Southern Hemisphere. Using the colonial archive and contemporary sources, the research demonstrates shared aspects of landscape resources and infrastructures as they were used by both Kulin Nation and settler communities, and also some of the fundamental differences in modes of access to these resources. Photographic evidence in particular documents how the scale and speed of change through industrial-scale colonial horticulture massively impacted the landscape within a matter of years, if not seasons, resulting in disruption to and destruction of Indigenous landscape systems. This analysis seeks to address the ways in which Australian histories can continue to be re-framed to better acknowledge and respect Australian Aboriginal histories, and confirms the importance of revisiting historically settler-focused understandings and heritage assessments of Australian landscapes to better acknowledge the complex uses and values of these places for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land where I live and work, the people of the Kulin Nations, and pay respect to their Elders and other Aboriginal people.

Regulation of water regime of sod-podzolic soil in fruit tree nursery and water distribution pattern in the soil profile under different irrigation regimes

Based on the results of field experiments carried out in the nursery of Michurin garden of Russian State Agrarian University named after K.A. Timiryazev, rational irrigation schedules for apple-tree seedlings of different age (1-, 2- and 3-year-old) were developed and scientifically substantiated. Excess water was diverted from the experimental plot by underground drainage system, and the drip irrigation system was used for watering plants. With its characteristic low rate of water usage and highly frequent irrigation applications it allows the moisture content to be maintained within a narrow range. The effectiveness of irrigation schedules was evaluated by the response of seedling – their biometric characteristics, determining the productivity of apple trees in orchard in future, such as average plant height, stem diameter at 20 cm height, leaf surface area, which were measured. The amount of high-quality planting stock was recorded in each variant as well. In order to btain 1-year-old apple seedlings it is recommended to maintain soil moisture within the range of 70–90% of field capacity (FC). This irrigation schedule results in the maximum amount of standard planting stock (1-st and 2-nd category) – 25.9 thousand seedlings per ha, with the average leaf surface area of 1 468 cm2, trunk diameter – 1.8 cm, plant height – 140 cm. For 2- and 3-year-old seedlings the differentiated irrigation schedule was developed, whereby the moisture content and depth of the wetted layer varies as the root system grows. In the first year of growth soil moisture should be maintained within the range of 70–90% FC in 0–30 cm layer because of the poorly developed root system; for 2- and 3-year-old nurslings soil moisture can be reduced to 60–80% FC in 0–40 cm and 0–50 cm layer respectively. The height of 2-year-old seedlings was on average 174 cm, leaf surface area – 3 715 cm2, stem diameter at 20 cm height was 2.3 cm, the amount of standard planting stock was 25 thousand seedlings per ha. The 3-year-old seedlings reached the height of 214 cm, were characterized by leaf surface area of 5 973 cm2, stem diameter at 20 cm of 2.8 cm, the yield of standard seedlings was also 25 thousand seedlings per ha. Moreover, for two variants of irrigation (60–80% FC and 70–90% FC) moisture distribution contours immediately after irrigation, 24 hours after irrigation and before the next irrigation application were designed. The areas of segments with different moisture content in vertical section of contours were calculated, thus, revealing the character of moisture distribution down the soil profile and allowing performance of comparative characteristic of irrigation schedules. The obtained wetting contours indicate the absence of unproductive losses of irrigation water for infiltration into the underlying horizons when the considered drip irrigation schedules were applied.

The condition of fruit tree nurseries and areas of government incentives for their development in Russia

Subject. The article investigates the state and development prospects for nurseries of perennial fruit and berry plantations. Objectives. Our aim is to explore the current state of fruit tree nurseries in Russia, identify trends and directions of government incentives for their development. Methods. The study draws on abstract-logical, monographic, systems, comparative, economic, statistical, and other methods of economic research. Results. We show that the level of fruit tree nursery development does not adequately respond to the demands of intensively growing horticulture. Over one third of planting materials are imported. The ranking of the country's regions by the volume of planting material demonstrates that the greatest number of seedlings is in the Krasnodar Krai and the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. However, only 25% of gardens of the Krasnodar Krai use the planting material produced in the region. Conclusions. We unveiled trends in the fruit tree nursery development by subject of the Russian Federation; substantiated the importance of introducing differentiated subsidy rates for perennial fruit and berry plantations, applying an increasing factor, when domestic planting material is used.

Sub-Sector Analysis of Fruit Tree Nursery in Turkey

In this study, a sector analysis has been conducted to increase the competitiveness of the Turkish fruit nursery using the SWOT and Strategic Orientation Management (SOR) method and strategic aims and goals have been determined. It is an important power factor that exports of nursery plants tend to increase. However, the problems experienced in supplying certified sapling production materials are the weakest point of the industry. In addition, the increase in the number of new fruit plantations in recent years in countries that have the high market potential for export of saplings for Turkey and the increasing demand for world fruit saplings are significant opportunities for the sector. The expected increase in the demand for certificated saplings in the near future, protecting of the new varieties accepted in the world market and the high quality of the saplings in the competing countries are the most important threats for Turkey. A total of 7 strategic objectives, 17 targets, and 63 projects/activities were determined in the prepared strategic action plan. In case of the projects/activities defined in the Action Plan are taken into consideration by the stakeholders and cooperated with each other, it is possible that Turkey’s fruit nursery sub-sector could reach the targets set for 2023 and its competitiveness would increase.

Genes Involved in Stress Response and Especially in Phytoalexin Biosynthesis Are Upregulated in Four Malus Genotypes in Response to Apple Replant Disease.

Apple replant disease (ARD) is a soil-borne disease, which is of particular importance for fruit tree nurseries and fruit growers. The disease manifests by a poor vegetative development, stunted growth, and reduced yield in terms of quantity and quality, if apple plants (usually rootstocks) are replanted several times at the same site. Genotype-specific differences in the reaction of apple plants to ARD are documented, but less is known about the genetic mechanisms behind this symptomatology. Recent transcriptome analyses resulted in a number of candidate genes possibly involved in the plant response. In the present study, the expression of 108 selected candidate genes was investigated in root and leaf tissue of four different apple genotypes grown in untreated ARD soil and ARD soil disinfected by γ-irradiation originating from two different sites in Germany. Thirty-nine out of the 108 candidate genes were differentially expressed in roots by taking a p-value of < 0.05 and a fold change of > 1.5 as cutoff. Sixteen genes were more than 4.5-fold upregulated in roots of plants grown in ARD soil. The four genes MNL2 (putative mannosidase); ALF5 (multi antimicrobial extrusion protein); UGT73B4 (uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glycosyltransferase 73B4), and ECHI (chitin-binding) were significantly upregulated in roots. These genes seem to be related to the host plant response to ARD, although they have never been described in this context before. Six of the highly upregulated genes belong to the phytoalexin biosynthesis pathway. Their genotype-specific gene expression pattern was consistent with the phytoalexin content measured in roots. The biphenyl synthase (BIS) genes were found to be useful as early biomarkers for ARD, because their expression pattern correlated well with the phenotypic reaction of the Malus genotypes investigated.

Growth and Feathering of Some Apple Cultivar-Rootstock Combinations in a Fruit-tree Nursery

The planting of well feathered trees are crucial in a high density orchard, than unbranched rods. Lateral bud-brake can be effectuated by several agro-technical methods in order to overcome apical dominance. Main targets of the researches were to investigate the feather induction by removing the apical leaves and to study a proper basic and foliar fertilization scheme. The highest mean height of the trees with significant differences was achieved by untreated Florina, followed by variants of Florina treated with Solfert, untreated control Idared and Florina with NPK and Fertitel. The number of feathered trees was higher in Florina than in Idared. The best results were obtained with Solfert and NPK followed by Fertitel. The growth in height was not affected by the lack of fertilizers in the control variants, but in other fertilization variants where branching was observed the height of the trees was reduced.

The Moroccan Approach

Morocco’s approach to implementing projects that preserve its multicultural identity integrates opportunities to advance sustainable development. The strategy is to identify ways to not only preserve culturally significant locations and knowledge but to also advance livelihoods, health, and education. The restoration of the Jewish cemeteries in Morocco, and growing adjacent to them community fruit tree nurseries, provides a vivid example of this model of linking multiculturalism and sustainable development. A different example involving the restoration of the historic mellah neighborhood in Marrakech presents the need to better galvanize community participation. Project experiences in the city of Essaouira will be introduced to help further illuminate these themes. Finally, the essay provides recommendations to improve the application of Morocco’s cultural-development integrated model.

First Report of Alternaria arborescens Species Complex Causing Leaf Blotch and Associated Premature Leaf Drop of ‘Golden Delicious’ Apple Trees in the Netherlands

Apple (Malus domestica) is an important fruit crop in the Netherlands, with a total production area of 7,600 ha in 2016, and 1,600 ha of fruit tree nurseries. For decades, fruit growers and nurseries have reported a leaf blotch, characterized by irregular light brown spots, bordered by a dark brown to purple margin, and premature leaf drop, mainly on ‘Golden Delicious’. The disease causes severe, sometimes almost complete defoliation. Leaf blotch typically appears in early July and is most severe in the latter part of the growing season. In a survey in August 2014, affected ‘Golden Delicious’ leaves were collected from different orchards and taken to the laboratory. Next, 20 leaves per location were rinsed with sterile water, sprayed with 70% ethanol until droplet runoff and rinsed again with sterile water, and tissue sections were excised from lesions using a sterile scalpel and placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA). The PDA plates were incubated at 20°C in the dark, and single spore isolates were transferred to fresh PDA plates. These isolates produced fast-growing colonies of irregular shape, tan brown to black and felty. Sporulation patterns showed long conidiophores with extensive terminal branching. Conidia were ovoid with a tapering apical beak and a size range of 10 to 30 × 5 to 10 μm, with 1 to 5 septa. The isolated fungi were morphologically identical to small spored Alternaria spp. (Simmons 2007). However, small spored Alternaria spp. cannot be identified based on morphological characteristics (Woudenberg et al. 2015). The identity of 12 representative isolates from two different orchards in their 4th growing season, located in the central part of the Netherlands, was determined by multilocus gene sequencing. To this end, genomic DNA was extracted using the UltraClean Microbial DNA isolation kit (MoBio Laboratories, Carlsbad, CA). Sequences of the ITS region, the endoPG gene, and the anonymous region OPA10-2 locus were amplified and sequenced as described in Woudenberg et al. (2013, 2015) and deposited under GenBank accession numbers MG744449–MG744460 (ITS), MG744473–MG744484 (endoPG), and MG744461–MG744472 (OPA10-2). MegaBLAST analysis revealed that our ITS, endoPG, and OPA10-2 sequences matched with >99 to 100% identity to Alternaria arborescens species complex (SC) isolates in GenBank (AF347033 and KP124400 [ITS], AY295028 and KP124104 [endoPG], and KP124712 and KP124714 [OPA10-2]). Subsequently, Koch’s postulates for three A. arborescens SC isolates were performed in the laboratory on ‘Golden Delicious’ leaves. Surface sterilized leaves were inoculated on the abaxial side with 10 μl of a suspension of 10⁵ conidiospores ml–¹ water, prepared from a 14-day-old PDA culture, after wounding with a needle, with four inoculations per leaf. Inoculated leaves were sealed in a plastic box and incubated in darkness at 20°C. The experiment was carried out in five replicates. Symptoms appeared within 7 days on 100% of the leaves, while mock-inoculated controls with water remained symptomless. Fungal colonies isolated from the lesions cultured on PDA morphologically resembled the original isolate from the infected leaves. The identity of the reisolations was confirmed as A. arborescens SC by sequencing. To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. arborescens SC causing leaf blotch and subsequent premature leaf drop of apple cultivars in the Netherlands. Multiple Alternaria species groups are associated with leaf blotch diseases of apple in Australia and Italy (Harteveld et al. 2012; Rotondo et al. 2012). A. arborescens-like isolates are most prevalent in Australia and are mostly associated with leaf blotch symptoms (Harteveld et al. 2012).

Совершенствование агротехнологических приёмов в плодовом питомнике

Совершенствование агротехнологических приёмов в плодовом питомнике

Paternity analysis in a ‘Rainier’ open pollination population usingS-alleles and microsatellite genotyping

Fruit breeding programs usually use controlled hand pollination among cultivars and advanced selections for obtaining segregating populations to select new cultivars. In sweet cherries, however, sometimes in controlled pollination few hybrids are obtained. Caging whole trees with bees and flowers of the pollinating cultivar is sometimes used to obtain larger hybrid populations. To generate large segregating populations for the Chilean Sweet Cherry Breeding Program (run by the Consortium of BioFrutales S.A. and Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias), the initial strategy was to harvest seeds from open pollinated self-incompatible cultivars maintained at the germplasm collection orchard of Univiveros, one of the leading fruit tree nurseries in Chile. While the female parent is known, the male parent is unknown. The pollen source will depend on the cultivars present in the area, the flowering time and the compatibility of the cultivars involved. In order to identify pollinators of the self-incompatible 'Rainier', which is surrounded by several other cultivars in the collection, a group of them were proposed as the most possible pollen donors considering their flowering time and location within the orchard. An initial screening using S-allele genotyping of 675 one-year-old seedlings from 'Rainier' open-pollination allowed for the identification of several S-genotypes, which suggested putative pollinators. These analyses identified two main putative pollen donors: 'Rivedel' (232 individuals, 34% of total) and 'Vanda' (101 individuals, 15% of the total). The paternity of these cultivars was confirmed or rejected after additional analysis with at least five highly informative microsatellite markers. The segregating population resulting from the cross 'Rainier' × 'Rivedel' (n=232) is currently being analyzed with microsatellite markers in order to build a linkage map for sweet cherry. In this population, parents exhibit contrasting phenotypes for skin and flesh color and berry firmness, among other agronomically important traits, making this population very interesting for future genetic studies.

Economic effectiveness of investments in fruit tree nurseries

In order to develop and improve fruit production in Serbia it is necessary to invest in establishment of nurseries for production of quality fruit seedlings. Therefore the goal of this paper is to analyze economic efficiency of investments in fruit nurseries. Discounting methods of investment evaluation (Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return and Payback period) are used to determine profitability of investments in expected circumstances while sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis methods were used to evaluate investments in risky circumstances. It is determined that investments in fruit nurseries are economically efficient even in risky circumstances. Type of nurseries which provide more balanced cash flows is more economically efficient and less risky.