Abstract
Plum and apple trees are the most widely spread fruit trees in south-eastern Europe. The main purpose of this paper is to characterize the spatial distribution of roots in medium and course textured soils to improve orchard management. ’Stanley’ plum cultivar grafted on Saint Julien A semi-dwarf rootstock and ’Topaz’ apple cultivar grafted on M.9 dwarf rootstock were studied in a temperate climate and medium and course textured soils. The trench technique was used. There was an intense concentration of roots near the trees and the roots did not occupy the whole soil space between tree rows. The finest tree roots in both species were prevalent. Root density was higher in tree rows versus inter-rows. Both the inter-row and in-row distances can be reduced to increase tree density if light penetration into canopy is sufficient. When a full irrigation regime is applied, a soil depth of 0.8 m would be sufficient for water application, and soil depths of 0.4 to 0.6 m would be recommended for deficit irrigation; water and fertilizers should only be applied over the surface area covering most of the roots. When a more strict control on root activity is desired, the tree roots could be cut vertically at 0.5–0.8 m distance from tree rows. The results could also be used in regions and countries with similar soil texture and climate conditions.
Zusammenfassung
Pflaumen- und Apfelbäume gehören in Süd-Ost-Europa zu den am weitest verbreiteten Obstbäumen. Das Hauptanliegen dieser Arbeit ist es, die räumliche Verteilung von Wurzeln in mittel und grob texturierten Böden zu beschreiben, um die Bewirtschaftung von Obstplantagen zu optimieren. Im gemäßigten Klima auf mittel und grob texturierten Böden wurden die Pflaumensorte ’Stanley‘, veredelt auf der mittelstark wachsenden Unterlage Saint Julian A, und die Apfelsorte ’Topaz‘, veredelt auf der schwachwachsenden Unterlage M9, untersucht. Zur Bestimmung der Durchwurzelungsintensität wurden Profilwände aufgegraben. Die Mehrzahl an Wurzeln wurde nahe am Baum festgestellt und die Wurzeln nahmen nicht den ganzen Bodenraum zwischen den Reihen ein. Vorherrschend bei beiden Arten waren die Feinwurzeln. Die Durchwurzelungsintensität war in den Reihen höher als zwischen den Reihen. Wenn der Lichteinfall auf die Laubwand ausreichend ist, könnten somit die Abstände zwischen und innerhalb der Reihen reduziert werden, um eine größere Pflanzdichte zu erreichen. Bei einer umfassenden Bewässerungsstrategie wird eine Bodentiefe von 0,8 m für die Wasserversorgung als ausreichend angesehen, bei einer Defizitbewässerung wird eine Bodentiefe von 0,4 bis 0,6 m empfohlen. Wasser und Dünger sollten nur auf der Bodenfläche ausgebracht werden, unter der sich die meiste Bewurzelung befindet. Wenn eine bessere Kontrolle der Wurzelaktivität gewünscht ist, kann ein Wurzelschnitt in 0,5–0,8 m Entfernung vom Baumstamm durchgeführt werden. Die Ergebnisse können ebenso auf Regionen und Länder mit vergleichbaren Bodenstrukturen und Klimabedingungen übertragen werden.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful for the financial support received from the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development: the project ADER 3.3.12 – The increase in the technical-economic competitiveness in fruit growing by using technologies adapted to the soil and climate conditions of Romania aiming at implementing the fruit growing Subprogram in years 2015–2020.
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Paltineanu, C., Nicolae, S., Tanasescu, N. et al. Investigating Root Density of Plum and Apple Trees Grafted on Low-Vigor Rootstocks to Improve Orchard Management. Erwerbs-Obstbau 59, 29–37 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10341-016-0293-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10341-016-0293-7