Vegetative, phenological and productive characteristics of peach trees cultivar Chimarrita grafted on different rootstocks

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of different rootstocks on vegetative, phenological and productive development of peach trees [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] cv. Chimarrita. The rootstocks used were 'Capdeboscq', 'Tsukuba 1', 'Okinawa', 'Aldrighi' and 'GF 305'. The variables studied were: trunk diameter, canopy volume, pruning weight, leafing and flowering time, chlorophyll content, leaf specific area, length of scaffold branches, fruit weight and color, fruit flesh firmness, total soluble solid (TSS) content, titratable acidity (TA), TSS/TA ratio, total phenols and fruit ripening time. The experiment was carried out using a randomized block design with four replicates, with five plants each. No effect of the rootstocks was verified on the beginning of leafing, and on leaf fall, leaf specific area, and fruit ripening and weight. The trunk diameter, length of branches, canopy volume, weight of the material removed by the pruning and chlorophyll content were better influenced by 'Capdeboscq', 'Okinawa' and 'Tsukuba 1'. The highest number of flowers per branch was obtained with the rootstock 'Capdeboscq'. 'GF 305' provided redder fruits and 'Okinawa' redder-yellow fruits.