Volume 62 Number 2 Article 1
Year 2008 Month 4
Title: Nursery Performance of Peach Seedling Rootstocks
Author: T.G. Beckmann
Abstract:
The nursery performance of a cross-section of both historically important and current commercial peach [Prunus
persica (L.) Batsch] seedling type rootstocks was studied over three growing seasons at six nurseries serving the
southeastern United States peach industry.
Many of the 14 rootstock lines tested differed significantly in both
their percent germination and growth prior to budding.
Tennessee Natural (IR282-2) displayed the best (77%)
germination.
The commercial bulked seedlot of GuardianTM (BY520-9) being distributed at the time of this study
displayed the worst (32%) percent germination.
However, since then Guardian’s germination percentage has improved
dramatically through the identification and utilization of those selections with superior germination.
Percent
unbuddable seedlings ranged from 1.5 to 6.6% across the rootstock lines.
High vigor is desirable.
Nemared and
Bailey displayed the highest (58.0 cm height) and lowest (35.2 cm height) vigor, respectively.
Seedlings with few
or no branches on their lower trunks are most desirable for budding.
Rutgers Red Leaf and Bailey displayed the
lowest (0.7 branches per seedling) and highest (2.4 branches per seedling) number of side branches on the lowest
10 cm of trunk, respectively.
Rootstocks differed sufficiently to warrant preferences for increased production efficiency
if rootstock-specific site adaptability did not take precedence.
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