Early performance of micropropagated trees of several Malus and Prunus cultivars on their own roots

Early performance (6–8 yr) of Macspur McIntosh, Golden Delicious, and Spartan apple (Malus domestica Borkh.); Fairhaven peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch.]; Montmorency sour cherry (P. cerasus L.); and Lambert sweet cherry (P. avium L.) trees, tissue cultured (TC) on their own roots, was compared with that of the same cultivars budded on commercially used rootstocks. TC trees of all apple cultivars were similar in size to trees budded on Antonovka seedling or M.4 and exceeded the size of trees budded on M.26. They were delayed in flowering and in cropping compared with trees budded on M.26 and M.4. No difference in titratable acidity, soluble solids, flesh firmness, weight, flavor, and color between fruit from TC trees and from trees on M.4 and Antonovka seedlings was detected in 1 yr of measurement. However, fruit from TC Golden Delicious was more russeted and fruit from TC Spartan had more soluble solids. The difference in fruit appearance between TC and budded trees may result from a root-stock effect ...