Tree Crown Volume Research Articles

Decoupling of Tree‐Ring Cellulose δ18O and δ2H Highlighted by Their Contrasting Relationships to Climate and Tree Intrinsic Variables

ABSTRACTOxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δ2H) stable isotope ratios are tightly coupled in precipitation and, albeit damped, in leaf water, but are often decoupled in tree‐ring cellulose. The environmental and physiological conditions in which this decoupling occurs are not yet well understood. We investigated the relationships between δ18O and δ2H and tree‐ring width (TRW), tree crown volume, tree age and climate in silver fir and Douglas‐fir and found substantial differences between δ18O and δ2H. Overall, δ18O–δ2H correlations were weak to absent but became significantly negative under high summer vapour pressure deficit (VPD). δ18O and δ2H had positive and negative nonlinear relationships with TRW, respectively, with clear relationships at the site and tree levels for silver fir and, to a lesser extent, for Douglas‐fir. Age trends for silver fir were weakly negative in δ18O but positive in δ2H. Tree crown volume and δ18O or δ2H had no significant relationships. Most strikingly, δ18O strongly depended on spring climate (precipitation and VPD), whereas δ2H depended on summer climate (temperature and VPD) for both species. Our study shows that the δ18O–δ2H decoupling in tree‐ring cellulose in two temperate conifer species could be highlighted by their contrasting relationships to climate and tree intrinsic variables (TRW, age).

Aboveground woody biomass estimation of young bioenergy plantations of Populus and its hybrids using mobile (backpack) LiDAR remote sensing

Woody aboveground biomass (AGB) including short-rotation Populus is used as a feedstock for renewable and carbon-neutral bioenergy. While woody AGB can be estimated with allometric equations requiring labor-intensive field data, remote sensing technologies like mobile terrestrial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) can estimate woody AGB quickly and accurately. Therefore, the goals of this study were to develop a model to predict woody AGB of 2-year-old Populus spp. from three taxa (P. deltoides, P. deltoides × P. maximowiczii and P. deltoides × P. trichocarpa) using allometric (height and diameter at breast height (DBH)) or LiDAR-derived metrics from a mobile terrestrial (backpack) system. Likewise, we sought to compare LiDAR-estimated tree height and DBH with field-measured values. We found that a taxa-specific model containing LiDAR-measured tree height, crown volume, and taxa interactions with the height of the 10th percentile, and the density of the lowest interval (density metric 0) explained 84 % of the variation in woody AGB with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 28.7 % and performed slightly better than the allometric model. The best model excluding taxa had a slightly higher RMSE but lower bias than the allometric model. LiDAR-derived tree heights were highly correlated with field-measured heights, but DBH could not be estimated accurately. Therefore, terrestrial mobile LiDAR systems can accurately estimate woody AGB and tree height of Populus in short rotation systems to aid in the fast and efficient quantification of woody bioenergy production and renewable energy resources.

YOLOTree-Individual Tree Spatial Positioning and Crown Volume Calculation Using UAV-RGB Imagery and LiDAR Data

Individual tree canopy extraction plays an important role in downstream studies such as plant phenotyping, panoptic segmentation and growth monitoring. Canopy volume calculation is an essential part of these studies. However, existing volume calculation methods based on LiDAR or based on UAV-RGB imagery cannot balance accuracy and real-time performance. Thus, we propose a two-step individual tree volumetric modeling method: first, we use RGB remote sensing images to obtain the crown volume information, and then we use spatially aligned point cloud data to obtain the height information to automate the calculation of the crown volume. After introducing the point cloud information, our method outperforms the RGB image-only based method in 62.5% of the volumetric accuracy. The AbsoluteError of tree crown volume is decreased by 8.304. Compared with the traditional 2.5D volume calculation method using cloud point data only, the proposed method is decreased by 93.306. Our method also achieves fast extraction of vegetation over a large area. Moreover, the proposed YOLOTree model is more comprehensive than the existing YOLO series in tree detection, with 0.81% improvement in precision, and ranks second in the whole series for mAP50-95 metrics. We sample and open-source the TreeLD dataset to contribute to research migration.

Point cloud-based crown volume improves tree biomass estimation: Evaluating different crown volume extraction algorithms

Accurately estimating aboveground biomass (AGB) is increasingly crucial for a better understanding of terrestrial ecosystem carbon balance and its relationship with global climate change. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) enables detailed reconstruction of tree crown three-dimensional structures, such as tree crown volume (CV), which has been proven to have a strong correlation with AGB. In this study, a coupled algorithm framework for extracting “optimal biomass” CV to improve AGB estimation using allometric models is proposed. The coupled algorithm framework was compared with commonly used tree CV extraction algorithms (model prediction, convex hull, alpha-shape, and voxel) based on point cloud data from 19 artificial Korean pine plots. The results reveal that the alpha-shape coupled with the voxel algorithm provides the closest approximation to the “optimal biomass” CV, exhibiting the highest correlation with AGB (r = 0.7905). α values and voxel size significantly influence the accuracy of CV extraction, while small variations in point cloud density have minimal impact on the extracted CV. Furthermore, the explanatory power of the “optimal biomass” CV for tree AGB was tested using 30 destructively harvested sampled trees. It was observed that the allometric model incorporating both “optimal biomass” volume and DBH (R2 = 0.966, RMSE = 15.321 kg) outperformed the allometric model incorporating both H and DBH (R2 = 0.953, RMSE = 16.131 kg) and the DBH-only model (R2 = 0.948, RMSE = 16.615 kg), particularly in reducing underestimation of AGB for larger trees. These findings demonstrate that the proposed alpha-shape coupled with the voxel algorithm provides an effective solution for extracting “optimal biomass” CV, significantly improving the accuracy of tree-level AGB estimation.

Common field measures and geometric assumptions of tree shape produce consistently biased estimates of tree and canopy structure in mixed Mediterranean forests

Crown shape and canopy structure are crucial determinants of tree and forest performance, and forest-climate interactions, but methods of quantifying these from field measurements are based on untested assumptions. Historically, measurements of crown size, shape and interactions have been limited to what can be quantified using simple tools such as a tape measure or clinometer, which are then combined with simple geometric assumptions to calculate metrics including crown area, crown volume and canopy cover and overlap. Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) captures the three-dimensional structure of trees and can derive such metrics directly, bypassing the need for geometric assumptions. Here we use TLS data from c. 2500 trees in mixed Mediterranean forests to present a first test of the validity of common assumptions of tree shape. We simulate field measurements from TLS, use these to estimate crown and canopy properties based on geometric assumptions and compare with direct TLS estimates. We find that commonly used methods produce consistently biased estimates of individual tree crown area and crown volume, and whole-plot crown projected area and crown overlap. Although TLS is often not the practical choice for forest measurement, we show that it can guide best practice and here present recommendations of ground measurements that minimise errors.

Comparison of Crown Volume Increment in Street Trees among Six Cities in Western Countries and China

The tree crown volume (CV), as a major indicator in the evaluation of ecological environment quality, can assess the health and carbon sequestration of urban trees. In this study, a new low-cost method, the plane calculation of angle disparity (PCAD), was employed to obtain the CV in China using satellite images from Google Earth. Meanwhile, primary data on street trees from four Western cities were acquired from online datasets. Nonparametric statistical methods showed no significant difference in CV per street tree between Beijing and Shanghai in China, ranging from 10 to 150 m3, almost one-seventh of that in the four cities (Paris and London in Europe and Los Angeles and Seattle in America). The CV of Platanus acerifolia in Paris and London exhibited values five times higher than those in Beijing and Shanghai. The annual crown volume increment (CVI) was less than 5 m3 in Beijing and Shanghai, significantly lower than in Seattle (66.55 m3). The purpose of the research was to verify the operability of the PCAD and compare the CVI in different cities all over the world, providing new ideas for urban tree management and carbon sequestration evaluation and a basis for government decision making in areas with a low CVI.

Peculiarities of bacteriosis development in agrocenosis of pome fruit orchards

Goal. Was to determine ssources of bacterium diseases of pome fruits in agrocenoses and their seasonal development study and factors, which impacts on plants defeating level.
 Methods. Field (route, selective and continuous studies) and laboratory (extracting pure bacterium cultures, determining pathogenicity, identifying through the sum of morpho-cultural and their physiological and biochemical features).
 Results. There were determined the defeating peculiarities of pome fruits by bacteriosis defeating on pome fruits during the investigation in 2011—2015 and 2021—2023. Their causative agents was conformed by bacterium extraction from plant material. The most intensive bacterial necrosis happened in spring, during the period of juice intensive movement, when the tree is the most favorable to defeating. The defeating observed only on some shoots in summer (to 5% from the volume of tree crown), but the cancer development continued on the trunk’s bark. The first symptoms of fire blight observed during blossoming and at the beginning of fruit setting. The full picture opened during the shoots’ active growth. The shoots` defeating level was in the scope of 3—12% and only on some trees reached 15—18%. The fire blight strong defeat (to 55% of crown tree) observed in 2015 through the mass propagation pear-tree psylla. New fire blight sources were not identified in Chernivtsi region in 2021—2023.There were only presence of bacterial necrosis causative agent.
 Conclusions. The bacteriosis defeating determined and researched in plantations Chernivtsi and Vinnytsia regions. The highest fire blight defeating level (to 55% of crown) connected with mass propagations of pear-tree psylla. It is the main pathogen carrier. The bacterium necroses defeating depends upon the weather conditions of weather period and following the necessary level of agrotechnical measures. The investigation scheme for pome fruits bacteriosis determined developed with phenological phases terms considerations and periods of the most plants susceptibility to phytopathogens defeating.

Ants offset bottom-up control of spiders in Amazonian savanna trees

Community trophic structure is shaped by concurrent bottom-up (resources) and top-down effects (predators), but the extent to which they interact remains uncertain. The Exploitation Ecosystems Hypothesis predicts that predators should offset increases in herbivore abundance with plant productivity, which is supported by data. However, the extent to which interactions within trophic levels (e.g. competition, intraguild predation) have similar effects is less clear. Ants and spiders are abundant in vegetation and consume similar arthropod prey (occasionally each other) and plant exudates, with ants generally showing competitive dominance over spiders. We tested whether ants could shape the trophic structure of tree-dwelling macroarthropod communities by offsetting increases in spider abundance with insect prey. We performed three surveys of the macroarthropod community of 97 trees from two sites in the savanna of Northern Amazonia. Together, ants and spiders represented 74% of the sampled individuals per tree. Insect prey abundance increased with tree crown volume and crown flower cover, consistent with bottom-up limitation. Likewise, both ants and spiders increased with insect prey abundance, with ant abundance also varying with tree species, suggesting reliance on both animal and plant resources. However, as predicted, the positive relationship between spider abundance and insect prey abundance disappeared as ant abundance increased. Our results suggest that agonistic interactions within trophic levels can strongly shape community structure and size by modifying bottom-up effects as much as interactions across trophic levels.

Plant Population Classification Based on PointCNN in the Daliyabuyi Oasis, China

Populus euphratica and Tamarix chinensis hold significant importance in wind prevention, sand fixation, and biodiversity conservation. The precise extraction of these species can offer technical assistance for vegetation studies. This paper focuses on the Populus euphratica and Tamarix chinensis located within Daliyabuyi, utilizing PointCNN as the primary research method. After decorrelating and stretching the images, deep learning techniques were applied, successfully distinguishing between various vegetation types, thereby enhancing the precision of vegetation information extraction. On the validation dataset, the PointCNN model showcased a high degree of accuracy, with the respective regular accuracy rates for Populus euphratica and Tamarix chinensis being 92.106% and 91.936%. In comparison to two-dimensional deep learning models, the classification accuracy of the PointCNN model is superior. Additionally, this study extracted individual tree information for the Populus euphratica, such as tree height, crown width, crown area, and crown volume. A comparative analysis with the validation data attested to the accuracy of the extracted results. Furthermore, this research concluded that the batch size and block size in deep learning model training could influence classification outcomes. In summary, compared to 2D deep learning models, the point cloud deep learning approach of the PointCNN model exhibits higher accuracy and reliability in classifying and extracting information for poplars and tamarisks. These research findings offer valuable references and insights for remote sensing image processing and vegetation study domains.

Growth Parameters of Apple Trees of the Aidared Variety Depending on the Rootstock and the Effect of Long-term Fertilization in Monoculture

Background: The results of studies of the influence of long-term fertilization on the parameters of growth parameters of apple trees of the Aidared variety on seed and vegetative M.4 rootstocks during repeated cultivation on dark gray podzolic soil were considered. Methods: The research was conducted during 1990-2016 in the apple tree plantation of the Uman National University of Horticulture in an experiment with long-term use of different fertilization systems. Result: It was found that the length of shoot growth of the experimental variety depended on the age periods of growth, rootstock and fertilization options. During the period of growth and fruiting, shoot growth was weak (19.4-22.2 cm) in all variants on both rootstocks due to the impact of soil toxin and difficult weather conditions on the re-grown trees. During the fruiting and growth periods, shoot growth was the largest, while during the fruiting period it decreased again, which was due to an increase in fruit yield and lack of moisture for normal growth of experimental trees. A significant increase in tree crown volume (by 38 %) during the fruiting period was observed on the seed stock compared to the vegetative M.4.

Influence of GI configurations and wall thermal effects on flow structure and pollutant dispersion within urban street canyons

Numerous evidence has shown that within the semi-enclosed street canyon, traffic emissions and the secondary pollutants are prone to accumulating in poorly ventilated areas, which is a serious threat to people's health. Among many factors affecting the flow field and pollution diffusion characteristics in street canyon, the effects of wall thermal buoyancy caused by solar radiation coupled with the aerodynamics and shading effect of different forms of green infrastructures (GIs) have not been paid enough attention. This study conducted the numerical simulations validated by wind-tunnel experiments to investigate the influence of different GIs & wall heating (WH) conditions on flow and dispersion within urban street canyons. Eight GIs and four WH configurations are considered. The validation results indicate that SKE-SWFs have better prediction accuracy. Numerical results show that the green belt has little effect on flow and dispersion within street canyon, while other GIs will cause increased pollution on the leeward side to varying degrees, depending on the planting location and volume of tree crown. Under the WWH, the RSTs will lead to the reverse flow at the canyon bottom, so that the pollutants will completely turn to the windward side. Conversely, the LSTs can promote the migration of pollutants to the canyon center, and has little impact on two side walls and pedestrian respiration planes, therefore, the LSTs is suggested to be the optimal tree planting configuration. This study can provide technical guidance for the optimization design of urban green facilities to achieve well-targeted control of local air quality.

Urban Forest Above-Ground Biomass Estimation Based on UAV 3D Real Scene

(1) Background: A three-dimensional (3D) real scene is a digital representation of the multidimensional dynamic real-world structure that enables the realistic and stereoscopic expression of actual scenarios, and is an important technological tool for urban refinement management. The above-ground biomass (AGB) of urban forests is an important indicator that reflects the urban ecological environment; therefore, the accurate estimation of AGB is of great significance for evaluating urban ecological functions. (2) Methods: In this study, multiangle aerial photographs of urban street trees were obtained via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) single-lens five-way flight, from 0°, 0°, 90°, 180°, 270°, and five other directions. The multiple view stereo (MVS) algorithm was used to construct three-dimensional realistic models of two tree species: ginkgo and camphor. Then, structural parameters such as tree height, crown diameter, and crown volume were estimated from the 3D real-scene models. Lastly, single-tree AGB models were developed based on structural parameters. (3) Results: The results of this study indicated the following: (A) The UAV visible-light realistic 3D model had clear texture and truly reflected the structural characteristics of two tree species, ginkgo and camphor. (B) There was a significant correlation between the reference tree height, crown diameter and crown volume obtained from the realistic 3D model and the measured values; the R2 for ginkgo height was 0.90, the R2 for camphor crown diameter was 0.87, and the R2 for ginkgo crown volume was 0.89. (C) The accuracy of the AGB estimation models constructed with tree height and canopy volume as variables was generally higher than that of models with tree height and canopy diameter; the model with the highest accuracy of AGB estimation for ginkgo was the linear model with a validation accuracy R2 of 0.96 and RMSE of 8.21 kg, while the model with the highest accuracy of AGB estimation for camphor was the quadratic polynomial model with a validation accuracy R2 of 0.92 and RMSE of 27.74 kg. (4) Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the UAV 3D real-scene model can achieve high accuracy in estimating single-wood biomass in urban forests. In addition, for both tree species, there was no significant difference between the AGB estimates based on the UAV 3D real scene and LiDAR and the measured AGB. These results of urban single-wood AGB estimation based on the UAV 3D real-scene model were consistent with those of LiDAR and even with the measured AGB. Therefore, based on the UAV 3D real-scene model, the single-wood biomass can be estimated with high accuracy. This represents a new technical approach to urban forest resource monitoring and ecological environment function evaluation.

Determination of Pollinator Characteristics of Some Hazelnut Genotypes

This research was carried out in Karasu, Kocaali and Arifiye districts of Sakarya Province to determine the suitable pollinators for Çakıldak hazelnut cultivar (Corylus avellana) in 2021-2022. In the study, 27 genotypes that were late male flowering, formed a large amount of catkins, had high pollen quality, had round nut shape and short husk length were examined. Pollen viability was detected according to 2, 3, 5,-Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride (TTC). Pollen viability of the genotypes was ranged from 22.3% to 93.7% according to the TTC method. According to the agar method, pollen germination rate was determined between 15.6% and 78.1% at 20% sucrose concentration containing 1% agar. 89% of the genotypes were round, 11% were in the oblong nut group. It was determined that most of them amount of male inflorescences (catkins) depending on the tree crown volume and age. T-22KRS02, T-22KRS03, T-22KRS07, T-22KRS08, T-22KRS09, T-22KRS10, T-22KRS11, T-22KCL11, T-22KCL14, T-22KCL16 and Mincane were selected to be evaluated in the second phase of the study.

Structure and Ecosystem Services of Three Common Urban Tree Species in an Arid Climate City

Urban forests play a critical role in improving the quality of life in cities, but in arid environments, little is known about the potential benefits and growth conditions of different tree species. Our study aimed to fill this gap by investigating the relationships between tree dimensions, above-ground biomass carbon storage, and shading potential in three common urban trees in the arid city of Jericho, Palestine, (i.e., Ficus nitida, Delonix regia, and Phoenix dactylifera). The trees were chosen according to their distribution in urban locations and tree vitality, with ages ranging from 20 to 90 years. Based on the results from tree structure measurements, the carbon storage and shading potential were calculated using the City Tree model. The results indicate a moderate to strong relationship between tree height, crown diameter, and crown volume for F. nitida and D. regia (R2 = 0.28–0.66), but no relationship for P. dactylifera (R2 = 0.03–0.06). The findings suggest that the analyzed tree species can considerably contribute to the potential benefits of trees in improving the climate of an arid city: D. regia shows a higher median of above-ground biomass carbon storage of 155 kg C tree−1, while P. dactylifera 91 kg C and F. nitida 76 Kg C. D. regia and F. nitida have a higher median of shading potential, (31 m2–41 m2), respectively. Information on the ecosystem services from urban trees and their relationships in terms of species, age, and tree planting urban location are very important for city planners, in relation to sustainable urban green spaces in arid cities.

Individual structure mapping over six million trees for New York City USA

Individual tree structure mapping in cities is important for urban environmental studies. Despite mapping products for tree canopy cover and biomass are reported at multiple spatial scales using various approaches, spatially explicit mapping of individual trees and their three-dimensional structure is sparse. Here we produced an individual tree dataset including tree locations, height, crown area, crown volume, and biomass over the entire New York City, USA for 6,005,690 trees. Individual trees were detected and mapped from remotely sensed datasets along with their height and crown size information. Tree biomass in 296 field plots was measured and modelled using i-Tree Eco. Wall-to-wall tree biomass was mapped using relationships between field measurements and remotely sensed datasets and downscaled to individual trees. Validation using field-plot measurements indicated that our mapping products overestimated tree number, mean tree height and maximum tree height by 11.1%, 8.6%, and 5.3%, respectively. These overestimations were mainly due to the spatial and temporal mis-match between field measurements and remote sensing observations and uncertainties in tree segmentation algorithms. This dataset enables the evaluation of urban forest ecosystem services including regulating urban heat and promoting urban health, which can provide valuable insights for urban forest management and policy making.

A reinterpretation of the gap fraction of tree crowns from the perspectives of computer graphics and porous media theory.

The gap fraction (GF) of vegetative canopies is an important property related to the contained bulk of reproductive elements and woody facets within the tree crown volume. This work was developed from the perspectives of porous media theory and computer graphics techniques, considering the vegetative elements in the canopy as a solid matrix and treating the gaps between them as pores to guide volume-based GFvol calculations. Woody components and individual leaves were extracted from terrestrial laser scanning data. The concept of equivalent leaf thickness describing the degrees of leaf curling and drooping was proposed to construct hexagonal prisms properly enclosing the scanned points of each leaf, and cylinder models were adopted to fit each branch segment, enabling the calculation of the equivalent leaf and branch volumes within the crown. Finally, the volume-based GFvol of the tree crown following the definition of the void fraction in porous media theory was calculated as one minus the ratio of the total plant leaf and branch volume to the canopy volume. This approach was tested on five tree species and a forest plot with variable canopy architecture, yielding an estimated maximum volume-based GFvol of 0.985 for a small crepe myrtle and a minimal volume-based GFvol of 0.953 for a sakura tree. The 3D morphology of each compositional element in the tree canopy was geometrically defined and the canopy was considered a porous structure to conduct GFvol calculations based on multidisciplinary theory.

Automatic tree crown segmentation using dense forest point clouds from Personal Laser Scanning (PLS)

Among digital-based technologies to monitor forest ecosystems, personal laser scanning (PLS) has high potential to characterize even complex deciduous and rainforests. PLS data include a complete and detailed 3D representation of forest stands, but tree individuals need to be segmented accurately before retrieving tree characteristics. As manual on-screen segmentation is time-consuming and labor intensive, we suggest an automatic voxel-based region growing crown segmentation algorithm. Diameter at breast height (dbh), tree height, crown base height (cbh), crown projection area (cpa) and crown volume were automatically extracted from single tree point clouds. The methodology was validated on previously published PLS raw data in terms of segmentation accuracy and measurement precision. Manual segmentation, field measurements, and geometrical crown models were used as reference data. The overall segmentation accuracy of the crowns was 87.02% and tree height was accurately measured with a bias of −0.05 m and a root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 1.21 m (6.33%). Existing geometric crown models proved to be a realistic approximation of the true crown architecture and matched the measured tree crown volume with a bias of −4.62 m 3 and a RMSD of 63.02 m 3 (31.72%). Tree height and cpa were not affected by segmentation accuracy, but a major challenge remained in estimating cbh. The proposed methodology provides an efficient and low-cost solution for a fully automatic and digital forest inventory. • Personal Laser Scanning is suitable to support forest inventory. • Efficient and accurate measurements on single trees require automatic software. • A region growing algorithm for individual tree segmentation achieved 87% accuracy. • Automatic tree height measurement has the same accuracy as field measurement.

Not All Greenness Is the Same: Associations with Health Are More Nuanced than We Thought.

Not All Greenness Is the Same: Associations with Health Are More Nuanced than We Thought.

Sap flow monitoring of two Australian native tree species in a suburban setting: Implications for tree selection and management

Sap flow, the transport of fluid in the water-conducting xylem tissues of plants, is commonly measured in studies of plant-water relationships by the heat pulse velocity method. Publications have been rare of long-term sap flow measurements for individual trees in a suburban environment. Plant-water relations in urban settings are essential for promoting urban greening where there is a perceived danger to infrastructure and buildings from planting trees in streets on clay sites. The function of residential houses built on reactive clays can be significantly impaired and walls of buildings cracked if considerable amounts of water are extracted from the soil by the root system of a tree or a group of trees in close proximity, leading to localised soil shrinkage settlement. This part of the wider study aimed to monitor sap flow of eight individual Australian native trees from two species using the heat ratio method (HRM) in the field over 12 months. The analysis of monthly sap flow volume showed a similar pattern for all monitored trees, although daily water demand varied substantially. Methods for estimating tree leaf surface area, crown shape and crown volume were investigated and the equation for calculating thermal diffusivity (k) and sap flow velocity on the basis of the HRM was reviewed. It has been proposed that k may vary substantially depending on how thermal conductivity (K) is estimated, which could lead to significant discrepancies for estimations of plant transpiration. Two K models (KHog and KVan) were investigated and it was found that the impact on mean daily sap volume was negligible for the trees in this study.

Investigation of stem anatomy in relation to hydraulic conductance, vegetative growth and yielding potential of ‘Summit’ cherry trees grafted on different rootstock candidates

Abstract Severe climate alterations that seriously challenge fruit production, combined with the demand for healthy, pesticide-free fruits, continuously direct rootstock/cultivar selection towards high adaptable varieties breeding. This study aimed to investigate the rootstocks’ influence on the performance of grafted ‘Summit’ cherry trees, including potentially dwarfing Prunus cerasus, Prunus fruticosa and Prunus mahaleb rootstock candidates. Anatomical properties of rootstock and scion stems were investigated to determine variation among different rootstocks and scion-rootstock combinations and to establish the link between trunk hydraulic conductivity, effective tree crown volume and yielding potential. Cross-section anatomical characteristics varied significantly both in rootstock and scion stems, indicating a clear influence of rootstock genotype on grafted sweet cherry trees. It was observed that all investigated cherry rootstock candidates belong to the low-vigorous rootstocks, based on the estimated effective crown volume of grafted trees compared to ‘Gisela 5’, with values ranging from 0.86 to 2.97 m3 in the fifth year after planting. Results showed a statistically significant positive correlation between trunk hydraulic conductivity, effective tree crown volume and yielding potential, with correlation coefficients up to 0.96. Significantly higher effective crown volume and trunk hydraulic conductance of trees grafted on P. cerasus compared to the trees on control, as well as highest yielding potential, showed better adaptation of these rootstock candidates in the trial without irrigation implemented. It was found that PC_05_04 rootstock candidate could be considered as the most appropriate choice when raising the high-density sweet cherry plantations, due to assessed parameters of vegetative and generative growth.