Effect of Prunus Hybrid Rootstocks on Yield and Fruit Quality in Peach-Nectarine Cultivation in Low Chilling Areas of the Eastern Mediterranean Region of Türkiye

This study was carried out to determine the performance of four peach x almond hybrids and one Prunus cerasifera x almond hybrid rootstock in low chilling areas of the eastern Mediterranean region of T & uuml;rkiye. In this study, the 'Crimson Baby' nectarine and the 'Flored' peach cultivars were grafted on the peach-almond hybrids Garnem, GF-677, Patrones-Arda, and Rootpac-40 (R) and the plum-almond hybrid Rootpac-R (R) rootstock in October 2016 and were planted in the research area in October 2017. During the first three bearing years, the earliness, yield, and fruit quality characteristics of the budded cultivars varied depending on the rootstock and growing season. Rootpac-40 (R), Rootpac-R (R), and Patrones-Arda rootstocks advanced harvest time 2-3 days compared to GF-677 and Garnem rootstocks. The lowest tree vigor was induced by Rootpac-40 (R) for both cultivars, with 32 and 41% reductions in trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) for 'Crimson Baby' and 'Flored', respectively, compared to GF-677. The largest fruits were obtained from the Rootpac-R and Rootpac 40 rootstocks for the 'Flored' cv., and were obtained on Garnem and Patrones-Arda rootstocks for the 'Crimson Baby' cv. The cumulative yield was markedly greater for the Rootpac-R (R) rootstock in both cultivars. The highest yield efficiency was detected on Rootpac-R (R) for 'Crimson Baby' and on Rootpac-40 (R) for 'Flored'. According to 3-year averages, the highest fruit weight was obtained on GF-677 and Garnem rootstocks for 'Crimson Baby' and on Rootpac-R (R) and Rootpac-40 (R) for 'Flored'. The highest fruit soluble solids content was observed in Rootpac-40 (R) for both cultivars. These results showed that new Prunus rootstocks such as Rootpac-R (R) and Rootpac-40 (R) could be the best option for the growing conditions, resulting in better yield performance and fruit quality than those of the Garnem and GF-677 rootstocks.