Influence of the Crown Shape on the Input of the Fruit and the Productive Potential of Cherry Trees in a High-Density System

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to practice and improve the use of low volume crowns in a high-density system in order to obtain qualitative cherry production that would be competitive on the market and to make efficient use of the labor force. The research was carried out in the intensive cherry orchard planted in the autumn of 2011 with “Ferrovia”, “Kordia”, and “Regina” varieties, grafted on Gisela 6 (Prunus cerasus × Prunus canescens) rootstock interspaced at 4x2.5 m and managed according to the Ameliorated natural crown systems with low volume, Ameliorated Slender Spindle and Vase shaped crown. Harvest, diameter, firmness, dry matter content and fruit weight were determined. The trees started to yield in the third year after planting. The harvest in the second year of yielding was 4-5 kg/tree. The average harvest in the third year of yielding was 9640-13290 kg/ha. For all three varieties the harvested quantity and fruit size were correlated with the crown shape. The Ameliorated Slender Spindle crown provided the highest production per hectare, while the Flattened Vase Shaped crown provided the lowest yield but had the highest values of the fruit size (28.2-28.4 mm) and of the soluble dry matter in the fruit (17.9-18.6 Brix%).

Studies on the Development of Some Strategies for Sweet Cherry Tree Planting Distance and Management

“…During the first seven fruiting years, the average harvest of the Ferrovia cv amounted to 8,19-8,31 t/ha, of the Kordia cv -7,65-8,31 t/ha, and of the Regina cv -7,21-7,88 t/ha (tab.1). The crown shape did not have a significant impact on the yield of the studied varieties, because the naturally improved low volume shaped and improved slender spindle shaped crowns are typical for sweet cherry trees grown in a high density system (Long Lynn et al 2014, Ivanov & Balan 2017, Balan et al 2018. The researches carried out at the ProdCar Ltd demonstrated that the characteristics of the Adriana, Ferrovia and Skeena sweet cherry tree varieties, grafted on Gisela 6 with 4x2 m space between them, reached the optimum level during the fruiting and growth periods.…”

“…The research conducted by the State Agricultural University of Moldova, on the increase of efficiency of sweet cherry orchards, by obtaining early bumper qualitative harvests, has led to the use of trees with preformed crowns thickened up to 90-100 cm which are planted more densely, to the development of methods to maintain a balance between growth and fruiting by minimizing pruning in the first years after planting, and to the utilization of inclined branches, irrigation and fertilization (Balan et al 2018Ivanov et al 2019, Şarban & Balan 2021.…”