Good Fruit Grower

December 2011

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Krymsk rootstocks show ADVANTAGES It could be easier to balance cherry tree growth and cropping on Krymsk than on more dwarfing stocks. by Geraldine Warner block of Lapins on Krymsk 5 and 6 and Gisela 12 root- stocks. Krymsk 6 is comparable in size to Gisela 6, but K.5 is bigger—closer to G.12, but with less dense fruiting, Meyer reported during a grower tour to his orchard. Krymsk 5 is an option where a grower might want T more precocity and dwarfing than Mazzard but less pre- cocity than a Gisela rootstock, he said. In some situations, the Gisela rootstocks have a tendency to overcrop. In Meyer's Lapins block, the average yield from the trees on Krymsk rootstocks is about 8 tons per acre, which Meyer said is low by most people's standards, but he is happy with fruit quality and size. he cherry rootstocks Krymsk 5 and 6 are not so precocious as Gisela rootstocks but more pro- ductive than standards such as Mazzard, orchardists are finding. Dave Meyer, a cherry grower in The Dalles, Oregon, has a mature Lynn Long, Oregon State University Extension educa- tor, said people are finding that K.5 is not as productive as G.6, but much more productive than Mazzard. "I think that's exactly where you want to be on these dwarfing rootstocks," he said. "You want a tree where you can get the right balance of leaves to fruit. If you have too many fruit, you'll have small fruit. It's easier to get that balance with Krymsk 5." Long said that Lapins, being a productive variety, is generally grown on Mazzard rootstocks, "but Dave has been successful growing quality year in, year out on a more productive rootstock." Meyer said he has Skeena on K.5 and K.6 also. He's noticed that in years when fruit set is heavy and the cher- ries would typically grow in clumps, like grapes, the fruit on trees on Krymsk rootstocks is more spread out, making it easier to pick the fruit without damage. Lynn Long (left) and grower Dave Meyer discuss pruning strategies in a block of fifth-leaf Chelan trees on the Krymsk 5 rootstock. He has Chelan on Colt, Mazzard, K.5, and K.6, and prefers K.5 with that variety. The trees grow as quickly as trees on Mazzard or Colt for the first few years, but then stop growing and maintain their size. With the central leader system, K.5 are more productive than on the other rootstocks, yielding a small crop in the third leaf and a good crop in the fourth, Meyer said. Long said another good combination is K.6 with Regina, an unproductive variety, because the rootstock increases productivity. Both K.5 and K.6 tend to sucker, but it's not unman- ageable, Meyer reported. The Krymsk rootstocks are reportedly sensitive to prune dwarf and prunus necrotic ring spot viruses, but Meyer had not seen any evidence of them in his trees. Long said hypersensitivity to a virus can be a positive thing because the infected tree can die within a year Raising the bar for low profile performance. Raise your expectations for low-profile tractor performance. Kubota's versatile M9540 Low Profile takes dependability to new heights. Specially designed low, adjustable fenders completely cover and protect back tires from low-hanging branches. Work in orchards, vineyards, greenhouses or anywhere standard-sized tractors won't fit. Raise the bar for low-profile performance with Kubota's M9540 Low Profile. Ready to demo at your authorized Kubota dealership. Oregon HOOD RIVER C.M. & W.O. Sheppard, Inc. 102 State Street I-84, Exit 63 (541) 386-3603 Washington GEORGE Blueline Equipment Company 603 Frontage Road Off I-90 at 149 (509) 785-2595 Visit the authorized Kubota dealer near you! MOXEE Blueline Equipment Company 105 North Spokane Street (509) 248-8411 (800) 827-0972 PASCO Blueline Equipment Company 1330 East Broadway Street Off Oregon Avenue (509) 544-6678 SUNNYSIDE Blueline Equipment Company 31501 Yakima Valley Highway (509) 839-2066 (800) 856-9763 EAST WENATCHEE Valley Tractor & Rentals 4857 Contractors Drive Baker Flats Industrial Park (509) 886-1566 (800) 461-5539 www.kubota.com Kubota Tractor Corporation Markets a Full Line of Tractors and Construction Equipment Through a Nationwide Network of Over 1,000 Authorized Dealers. Optional Equipment may be Shown. ©Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2011 56 DECEMBER 2011 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com geraldine warner

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