Rootstock Effects on some Charateristics of Apple cv. Delbarstival

This experiment was carried out in an apple orchard in Khodabandeh, Iran during 2007 and 2008, to investigate the effects of three apple rootstocks (M9, MM111, and MM106) on some characteristics of Delbarstival apple cultivar. The experimented trees were 6 years old on stage of commercial cropping. The experiment was planned in a randomized complete block design with three treatments (rootstocks) and six replications. Results indicated that rootstock affected leaf chlorophyll content, average of leaf area , trunk cross sectional area (TCSA) , tree height, primary fruit number, yield and yield efficiency. Minerals concentration of leaf such as N, Ca, Fe, Mn, Zn, B and Cu were influenced by rootstocks. The highest leaf chlorophyll content, tree height and N, Fe, B and Cu concentrations of leaf were measured for scions grafted on MM111, but flower number, trunk cross sectional area (TCSA) and Cu and Mn concentrations of leaf were higher when grafted on MM106. Delbarstival apple cultivar on M9 rootstock produced the highest yield/ha and yield efficiency.