Temperate fruits

16. Apple (Malus pumila or M. domestica)

• Premier table fruit of the world.
• Edible portion: Enlarged thalamus.
• Chilling temperature = 0-4.5 ⁰
• Requires 1500 chilling hours below 45 ⁰F to break doemancy.
• Cryophilous= not grown in trophics.
• pH = 5.5-6.5.
• All the English varieties are self-compatible.

• Pit dimension = 1x1x1 m³

HDP

• LHDP = < 250 plants /ha
• MHDP = 250-500 plants/ha.
• High HDP = 500-1250 plants/ha.
• Ultra HDP = >1250 and < 2000 plants/ha.
• Super HDP = 2000-7000 plants/ha.

Propagation

• Shield budding ( May-June. September) and whip grafting ( Feb.-March).
• ‘Modified leader system is popular training system in Apple.
• For dwarf var. spindle bush is suitable for training
• Diploid variety are self-compatible.
• Triploid var. are self-incompatible.
• Fruit thinning in apple = 30-45 days after full blooming.

Fruit drop in apple is due to

• Early drop = unpollinated flower
• June/summer drop = Moisture stress
• Pre-harvest drop = increased ethylene level.
• Delicious group varieties shows alternate bearing in apple.

17. Pear (Pyrus communis L.)

• Hardy crop and free from any serious problems.
• Requires 900-1000 chilling hours
• pH = 6-7.5.
• Cultivated varieties

i) communis

ii) serotina

• Fruit growth follows a pattern of sigmoid curve.
• Tongue and cleft grafting = Jan -Feb.
• T-budding and Hard wood cutting.
• Disorder = Black end and pear decline.

18. Peach (Prunus persica)

• Grown in mid-hills @ 1000 – 1600 m
• Follow double sigmoid curve.
• Blooming period delayed by applying GA ( 200 ppm)
• Modified ladder and open Centre system is done in peach.
• T-budding, cleft or wedge grafting is practiced.