LAUSR

Abstract The productivity value of six new Prunus persica genotypes - BN-1, BN-3, BN-4, BN-7, BN-8 and BN-45 for the seedling rootstock production for cultivated peach varieties was investigated. The control seedling varieties were P. persica ‘Mandzurska’ and P. persica ‘Siberian C’. All investigated trees were grown in the Experimental Orchard in Dąbrowice (Central Poland) of the Research Institute of Horticulture. Intensity of flowering and fruiting was evaluated as well as date of fruit ripening, size of fruits and their seeds (stones) including ability to germinate in relation to the age of the seeds (freshly harvested vs stored). The best (highest) yield was collected from trees of genotypes BN-1, BN-4 and BN-8. All of the new tree genotypes were producing smaller fruits and seeds with higher germination capacity compared to control trees. In terms of the characteristics assessed, the best as a seed source tree was genotypes BN-7 and BN-8. The trees of genotypes BN-1, BN-3 and BN-4 were very much comparable to control seedling varieties in terms of fruiting intensity of trees, number of stones obtained from the fruit yield and number of stones contained in 1 kg of their weight. This indicates tremendous usefulness of the evaluated new genotypes for sourcing seeds necessary for the production of rootstocks for peach varieties. They can be used in cultivation of peach not only in Poland but also in countries located in a cooler areas of the moderate climate.