Effects of Prunus tomentosa and P. persica Rootstocks on Yield, Fruit Quality, Dry Matter Partitioning and Trunk Cross-Sectional Areas of Six Peach Cultivars

Abstract

To investigate various dwarfing characters in peach trees grafted onto Prunus tomentosa, yield, fruit quality, dry matter distribution and trunk cross-sectional areas were compared among six peach cultivars ('Hikawa Hakuho', 'Hakuho', 'Akatsuki', 'Yoshihime', 'Masahime' and 'Kawanakajima Hakuto') grafted on P. tomentosa Thunb. (PT) and P. persica Batsch (PP). The estimated annual yield per unit area was consistently higher in PT than PP in 'Kawanakajima Hakuto' during five years of experiment, but there was little difference between PT and PP in the other cultivars. The PT trees had higher total phenolic contents in 'Hakuho', 'Yoshihime', 'Masahime' and 'Kawanakajima Hakuto'. Their whole tree dry matter weight was only 34.5-45.4% of PP. 'Hikawa Hakuho', 'Masahime' and 'Kawanakajima Hakuto' trees grafted on PT had a lower percentage of dry matter distribution to the frame, e.g., the current shoot and old wood, but a greater distribution to the fruit, especially in 'Kawanakajima Hakuto'. The percentage of bark area in the trunk cross-section in PT was significantly higher than that in PP except for 'Hikawa Hakuho'. Therefore, a preferential dry matter partitioning readily occurs in peach trees grafted on PT, especially for 'Kawanakajima Hakuto'.