Influence of different vigour cherry rootstocks on leaves and shoots mineral composition

In this study, the field performance of Adara, CAB 6P, Gisela 5, MaxMa 14, Saint Lucie GF 64 (SL 64), Saint Lucie GF 405 (SL 405), and Tabel-Edabriz rootstocks, grafted with two sweet cherry cultivars ('Stark Hardy Giant' and 'Van', Prunus avium L.), were compared after 7 years of planting on a calcareous clay-loam soil. The leaf and shoot mineral elements analysed were N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Na and Cu. In the case of both cultivars, tree vigour and cumulative yield were highest on Adara, whereas yield efficiency was greater on Gisela 5. All rootstocks induced low leaf Fe concentrations, although visual chlorosis symptoms were not observed. In both cultivars, significant positive correlations between Mn shoot and leaf concentration were found. Significant positive correlations were also found between yield efficiency and shoot mineral concentration, with the exception of Mg and Zn, which showed no correlation, and K with negative correlation. In 'Van' cultivar, Adara rootstock followed by CAP 6P and Gisela 5 showed the most balanced nutritional values. On the other hand, SL 64 had leaf mineral element concentrations below the optimum, probably due to the bad adaptation to heavy soil conditions. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.