NEW CLONAL ROOTSTOCKS OF APPLE TREES FOR GARDENS WITH UNSUPPORTED CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

The use of clonal rootstocks of apple trees is one of the main directions for
the development of intensive horticulture. In gardens of a short cycle with unsupported construction, the cost of establishing a garden is reduced by 5–7 times compared to gardens with
a support. It helps reduce the cost of fruit production and ensures a high profit from 1 ha, increasing the competitiveness of the technology. In a long-term stationary experiment, the development and growth of apple trees of the Zolotoi potok variety on 15 clonal rootstocks (12
of which are of the St. series) were studied. The garden was established in 2010 (OOO “Interinvest” Stavropol Territory) with a planting scheme of 4x1.6 m – 1562 tree/ha (suitable soil
for horticulture). The rootstocks of the new St series were grouped according to their influence on the vigor of the grafted varieties. The most valuable group of semi-dwarf rootstocks
included hybrids St-27-1, St-18-2 and St-6-3. Over 10 years of fruiting of the Zolotoi potok
apple tree, the most productive rootstocks were identified: medium-grown St-24-1 and highgrown St-18-5. The semi-dwarf rootstock St-27-1 showed specific productivity, which was
close to the SK 2 rootstock. Most of the medium- and high-grown rootstocks of the new St
series corresponded in specific productivity to the M 4 rootstock, and medium- grown St-24-1
and high-grown St-18-5 exceeded it (0.28 and 0.27 kg/cm2 compared to 0,25 kg/cm2 in control). The best stability of trees in the soil (anchoring) was noted in semi-dwarf rootstocks: St-
18-2, St-6-3, St-27-1; medium- grown St-12-3 and St-2-3 and most high-grown ones (4-5
points). Based on the sum of characteristics (for 2013-2022), the semi-dwarf rootstocks St-27-
1 and St-18-2, medium- grown St-24-1 and St-2-3; high-grown St-18-5, St-21-1 and St-6-6
were identified as promising.