EARLY PERFORMANCE OF SLENDER SPINDLE AND VERTICAL AXIS TRAINING SYSTEMS IN APPLES

33884

Training system is the most important factor where high crop yield is expected. It also has direct effect on good quality fruits and early productivity expected from the orchard. In this study that had been carried out during 2008-2009, it was aimed that the effects of different cultivation systems on Fuji, Jonagold, Granny Smith (Granny S) and Golden Reinder (Golden R) apple cultivars grafted on M9 apple rootstock in Horticultural Department of Agricultural Faculty of Gaziosmanpaşa University would be revealed. Slender Spindle (Slender S.), Vertical Axis (Vertical A) training systems were applied on the trees were planted in 2007 October. The vegetative growth, yield and fruit quality performances of the trees constituted on wire-stake combination system were analyzed during two years. In second yield year (2009), the highest yield values were detected on Vertical A. training system and the Golden R. cultivar. At the same year, Fuji cultivar gave the highest values in trunk cross-sectional area (TCA) and canopy volume. While TCA was the same for both training systems, canopy volume was higher in Vertical Axis system. Fruit mass and chemical properties showed difference only between varieties.

100

Apple , M9 , training system , growth , yield and fruit quality

Anadolu Journal Of Agricultural Sciences

105

Anadolu Journal Of Agricultural Sciences