Comparative Evaluation of Pear Performances Under High- and Low-Density Planting Systems Cv. 'Santa Maria'

Abstract

The present study was carried out to determine the effect of rootstocks and planting densities on the performances of 'Santa Maria' pear cultivar in 2020-2021. With the exception of acidity, all parameters studied were significantly influenced by rootstocks. The highest fruit weight was obtained from Quince A (QA, 184.92 g), and the lowest was in Quince MC (MC, 143.34 g) and pear seedling (144.60 g). In the study, significant differences were determined for all morphological, pomological, fruit chemical, and color characteristics; also, significant results were obtained in yield and yield efficiency cases under both high-density planting (HDP) and low-density planting (LDP) systems of pear. Trunk diameter, tree height, trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA), leaf area, hue degrees and yield per crown volume were significantly higher under LDP systems in which seedlings and clonal rootstocks of pear were used. Trunk diameter, tree height, trunk cross-sectional area, leaf area, hue degrees and yield per crown volume were significantly higher under LDP systems, in which seedlings and clonal rootstocks of pear, remained all characteristics showed significantly better performances under the HDP system that quince rootstocks were used. The yield was higher in the quince rootstocks (27,376.40 kg ha(-1)) than in the pears (10,247.93 kg ha(-1)). The highest fruit number (69.18 pieces per tree), yield per tree (10.81 kg per tree), and yield per trunk cross-sectional area (0.99 kg cm(-2)) was on quince rootstocks, while the highest yield per crown volume was observed on pear rootstocks (45.03 kg m(-3)). In conclusion, yield and yield efficiency, fruit color characteristics, and fruit physical and chemical traits of 'Santa Maria' pear cultivar under HDP that used quince rootstocks were observed to be better. However, tree morphological performance was recorded to be better under LDP that used pear clonal rootstocks.