Pome Fruit Variety Trial - 2004
Joseph Masabni, Dwight Wolfe, June Johnston, and Hilda Rogers, Department of Horticulture, UKREC
Introduction
One of the many decisions every fruit producer must struggle with is the choice of cultivars. Although information regarding performance and fruit quality of various cultivars is very useful to a grower, obtaining this kind of information is time-consuming due to the time required for fruit trees to start production. This is also expensive due to the large number of cultivars currently available on the market. One way of reducing this cost is to incorporate a variety trial of the most recent cultivars with potential of performing well in Kentucky as part of another study.
Materials and Methods
In the spring of 1997, a training/pruning study consisting of 36 trees per row were planted in the orchard of the UK Research and Education Center at Princeton, KY (1). Guard rows of various apple cultivars (two trees per cultivar) were planted on both the east and west sides of the training/pruning trial. Four Asian pear cultivars (eight trees) were also included in the east side guard row. Spacing and cultural practices the same as described previously for the optimal training trial (1).
Phenological data was recorded in the spring of 2004 and yield, fruit size (as measured by average weight per fruit), flesh firmness, and the percent soluble solids (Brix) were recorded at harvest.
Results and Discussion
Phenological and harvest and fruit quality data are presented in tables 1 and 2. The data in tables 1 and 2 represent the first year of quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the listed varieties. Yield comparison between any two varieties should not be viewed as concrete evidence that one variety is better yielder than the other. We will continue evaluating these varieties in the future in the hope of accumulating data over few years to get a better picture on how these varieties perform over time. The following comments reflect observations for 2004 season only. The top 3 producers were Yataka, Enterprise and Liberty with at least 200 lb/tree. All the early-season varieties (harvested by end of July) had low yields in 2004. They ranked in the bottom 50% of the list in terms of yields/tree and in fruit size. On the other hand, most late-season varieties had large yields in 2004 and large fruit size.
Literature Cited
1. Joseph G. Masabni, Gerald R Brown (Professor Emeritus), and Dwight Wolfe. 2002. Optimal Training of Apple Trees for High Density Plantings. In: 2002 Fruit and Vegetable Crops Research Report. PR-470:30.
Table 1. Phenological stages of apple and pear cultivars at Princeton, KY, 2004.
|
Asian Pear Cultivars |
Green Tip |
Half- Inch Green |
Tight Cluster |
Pink |
Bloom |
Petal Fall |
Fruit Set |
|
Chojuro / OHxF97 (RM) |
- |
3/25 |
- |
- |
3/29 |
4/7 |
4/9 |
|
Korean Giant / OHxF97 (RM) |
- |
3/25 |
- |
- |
3/29 |
4/7 |
4/9 |
|
Niitaka / OHxF333 (RM) |
- |
3/25 |
- |
- |
3/29 |
4/7 |
4/9 |
|
Apple Cultivars |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jonagold De Coster / M.9 (ACN) |
- |
3/25 |
- |
3/29 |
4/5 |
4/16 |
4/19 |
|
Rubinstar Jonagold / M.9 (Wafler’s) |
- |
3/25 |
3/29 |
3/30 |
4/7 |
4/16 |
4/19 |
|
Morren's Jonagored / B.9 (Stark’s) |
- |
3/25 |
3/29 |
3/31 |
4/7 |
4/16 |
4/19 |
|
Shizuka / B.9 (RM) |
- |
3/25 |
3/29 |
3/31 |
4/7 |
4/16 |
4/19 |
|
Florina / CG.10 (RM) |
- |
3/25 |
3/29 |
3/31 |
4/7 |
- |
4/19 |
|
Enterprise ‘PP9193’ / CG.10 (RM) |
- |
3/25 |
- |
3/29 |
4/7 |
- |
4/19 |
|
Sun Fuji / M.9 (ACN) |
- |
3/25 |
3/29 |
3/31 |
4/7 |
- |
4/19 |
|
Yataka / M.9 (Starks) |
- |
3/25 |
3/29 |
4/2 |
4/7 |
4/19 |
4/22 |
|
Senshu / M.9 (Starks) |
- |
3/25 |
3/29 |
3/31 |
4/7 |
4/19 |
4/22 |
|
GoldRush / M.9 (Starks) |
- |
3/25 |
3/29 |
3/31 |
4/7 |
4/19 |
4/19 |
|
Pristine ‘PPAF’ / M.9 (RM) |
- |
3/25 |
3/29 |
- |
3/31 |
4/12 |
4/16 |
|
Monark / B.9 (RM) |
- |
- |
3/25 |
3/29 |
3/31 |
4/12 |
4/19 |
|
William's Pride ‘PP6268’ / O.3 (RM) |
- |
3/25 |
3/29 |
3/31 |
4/5 |
4/14 |
4/22 |
|
Redfree ‘PP4322’ / CG.10 (RM) |
3/25 |
- |
3/29 |
3/31 |
4/7 |
4/19 |
4/22 |
|
Ginger Gold ‘PP7063’ / M.9 (ACN) |
3/25 |
- |
- |
3/29 |
4/5 |
4/19 |
4/22 |
|
Sansa ‘PP 6519’ / M.9 (ACN) |
- |
3/25 |
3/29 |
3/29 |
4/7 |
4/19 |
4/22 |
|
Coop 39 / CG.10 (RM) |
3/25 |
|
- |
3/31 |
4/7 |
- |
4/22 |
|
Big Red ’BJ 45’ Gala / CG10 (RM) |
- |
- |
3/25 |
3/29 |
4/5 |
4/16 |
4/19 |
|
Liberty / M.9 (Starks) |
- |
3/25 |
- |
3/29 |
4/5 |
4/14 |
4/19 |
|
Scarlet O'Hara-Coop25 / B9 (RM) |
- |
3/25 |
3/29 |
3/31 |
4/7 |
4/19 |
4/22 |
Table 2. Harvest data from the 1997 apple and pear cultivar trial.
|
Asian Pear Cultivars |
Harvest Date |
2004 Yield (lbs/tree) |
Fruit Size (oz/fruit) |
Flesh Firmness (lbs) |
Brix (%) |
|
Korean Giant / OHxF97 (RM) |
10/5 |
70 |
9.4 |
12.0 |
14.4 |
|
Niitaka / OHxF333 (RM) |
9/1 |
47 |
7.7 |
14.1 |
10.2 |
|
Chojuro / OHxF97 (RM) |
9/1 |
9 |
4.9 |
- |
- |
|
Apple Cultivars |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yataka / M.9 (Starks) |
10/6 |
244 |
7.1 |
16.0 |
13.8 |
|
Enterprise ‘PP9193’ / CG.10 (RM) |
10/5 |
202 |
8.0 |
17.0 |
14.3 |
|
Liberty / M.9 (Starks) |
9/13 |
196 |
5.4 |
19.7 |
12.5 |
|
Coop 39 / CG.10 (RM) |
9/13 |
177 |
6.6 |
20.3 |
13.5 |
|
Sun Fuji / M.9 (ACN) |
9/13, 10/6 |
166 |
5.0 |
16.9 |
13.0 |
|
Scarlet O'Hara-Coop25 / B9 (RM) |
9/13 |
137 |
7.1 |
22.2 |
15.1 |
|
GoldRush / M.9 (Starks) |
10/6 |
130 |
8.0 |
23.4 |
16.6 |
|
Senshu / M.9 (Starks) |
9/2 |
130 |
5.6 |
14.0 |
11.4 |
|
Florina / CG.10 (RM) |
9/13, 9/22 |
126 |
6.2 |
16.8 |
13.7 |
|
Redfree ‘PP4322’ / CG.10 (RM) |
7/20 |
94 |
5.6 |
16.3 |
8.9 |
|
Ginger Gold ‘PP7063’ / M.9 (ACN) |
9/1 |
87 |
3.7 |
17.9 |
9.9 |
|
Big Red ‘BJ 45’ Gala / CG10 (RM) |
9/13 |
72 |
8.3 |
- |
- |
|
Pristine ‘PPAF’ / M.9 (RM) |
7/13 |
71 |
4.1 |
13.4 |
11.6 |
|
Sansa ‘PP 6519’ / M.9 (ACN) |
7/20 |
59 |
5.5 |
16.1 |
14.1 |
|
Jonagold De Coster / M.9 (ACN) |
9/14 |
51 |
6.4 |
14.2 |
16.5 |
|
Morren's Jonagored / B.9 (Stark’s) |
9/14 |
46 |
6.8 |
16.2 |
16.8 |
|
Monark / B.9 (RM) |
7/13 |
42 |
5.3 |
16.4 |
11.0 |
|
William's Pride ‘PP6268’ / O.3 (RM) |
7/13 |
37 |
4.6 |
17.3 |
10.7 |
|
Shizuka / B.9 (RM) |
9/22 |
24 |
8.1 |
15.0 |
14.5 |
|
Rubinstar Jonagold / M.9 (Wafler’s) |
9/14 |
20 |
4.6 |
18.8 |
16.5 |