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During the years 2008-2013, 20 table grape cultivars grown in Skierniewice (Central Poland) were assessed. Among the assessed cultivars, two - ‘Chasselas Blanc’ (standard) and ‘Favorit’ belonged to V. vinifera. Eighteen interspecific hybrids - ‘Aron’, ‘Esther’ (‘Eszter’), ‘Fanny’, ‘Flora’, ‘Galanth’, ‘Ganita’, ‘Garant’, ‘Katharina’, ‘Lidi’, ‘Lilla’, ‘Muscat Bleu’, ‘Nelly’, ‘Osella’, ‘Philipp’, ‘Rosetta’, ‘Rosina’, ‘Timur’ and ‘Verdelet’ were bred in various European countries. Vines, grafted on ‘Kober 5 BB’ rootstock, were planted in 2007 and annually covered for winter. Taking into account productivity, quality of fruits, susceptibility to frost damage and fungal diseases, the Swiss ‘Muscat Bleu’ and German ‘Garant’ proved most suitable for cultivation in the conditions of Central Poland. Plants of all cultivars belonging to the group of interspecific hybrids were less susceptible to infections caused by fungal pathogens than plants of V. vinifera genotypes. The assessment of frost resistance based on the observation of those parts of bushes, which were not covered, showed high diversification among the interspecific hybrids.

A B S T R A C TResearch on synanthropic flora was conducted in the orchards of central Poland (near Skierniewice, Łowicz and Grójec). In the 2007-2010 time period, 390 phytosociological releves were taken, which included herbicide fallow under trees, swarm of inter-rows, tillage places, trodden and rutty places, roadsides, boundary stripes and drainage ditches. In the examined orchards the occurrence of 186 species belonging to 39 botanical families was noted. The most numerously represented were: Asteraceae (21%), Poaceae (15%), Brassicacea (8%) and Fabaceae (7%). In the examined orchards, 60% of the found species occurred occasionally or rarely. Those species which were found at the 15% level were: Equisetum arvense, Polygonum aviculare, Chenopodium album, Amaranthus retroflexus, Stellaria media, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Convolvulus arvensis, Viola arvensis, Epilobium adenocaulon, Conyza canadensis, Taraxacum officinale, Poa annua, and Echinochloa crus-galli. All of these species which occurred at the 15% level were most frequently noted in the herbicide fallow and were recognised as the most significant orchard weeds. The most numerous group in the examined orchards was made up of the therophytes (50%), which predominated over hemicryptophytes (31%) and geophytes (10%). Apophytes -native species (59%) predominated over archeophytes (33%) and kenophytes (8%). Within the vascular flora of the examined orchards, those which were predominant were the segetal species (26%), ruderal species (21%) and meadow species (19%).

This manuscript contains information on the species composition of weed communities in orchards in Poland and other countries of the temperate climate zone. The manuscript deals with the influence of weeds on crops and the interaction between the weeds and other living organisms. The main methods of weed regulation are described. Characteristics of the particular crops – fruit trees and small fruits – and solutions that are either objects of study or have already been introduced into practice, are presented. Advantages and disadvantages of different methods of weed control are discussed, such as soil cultivation and tillage, cover crops, mulches, herbicide use, and flame burning.

Following the winter of 2009/2010, an assessment of frost damage was carried out on the vines of 40 wine cultivars and 32 table grape cultivars grown in central Poland (Skierniewice, latitude 51° 57' N, longitude 20° 08' E). The minimum winter temperature of -28.1°C was recorded on 26 January 2010. Cultivars were assigned to five classes of different frost tolerance, according to information on the percentage of frozen buds: very resistant (below 1.9%), resistant (2 -24.9%), medium susceptible (25 -74.9%), susceptible (75 -95.9%) and very susceptible (above 96%). The numbers of wine and table cultivars in each class were as follows: very resistant -5 (wine) and 3 (table), resistant -2 and 5, medium susceptible -15 and 10, susceptible -13 and 9 and very susceptible -5 and 5. The most tolerant were the 'Alwood', 'Delaware', 'Fredonia' and 'Zilga' interspecific hybrids of the Vitis labruscana group; the 'Aurore', 'Marechal Foch' and 'Leon Millot' hybrids originating from V. vinifera, V. rupestris, V. riparia and V. lincecumii and 'Sibera' originating from V. vinifera and V. amurensis. More than 96% of buds froze on the vines of some interspecific hybrids ('Arkadia', 'Fanny', 'Kodrianka' and 'Lilla'). 'Ortega', 'Nektar', 'Cserszegi Fueszeres', 'Riesling' and 'Chasselas Dore' from the V. vinifera cultivars showed the best tolerance to frost damage (42.5-62% of frozen buds). The buds of the V. vinifera cultivars 'Acolon', 'Dakapo' and 'Favorit' all froze. Plant parts covered with soil and snow were not exposed to significant damage, even in the case of susceptible cultivars.