Maldera Francesco, Garofalo Simone Pietro, Camposeo Salvatore
Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
Agriculture and Environment Research Centre - Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AA), Bari, Italy.
Front Plant Sci. 2024 Jul 23;15:1407862. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1407862. eCollection 2024.
The almond tree is a major global nut crop, and its production has surged dramatically in recent years. Super high-density (SHD) planting systems, designed to optimize resource efficiency and enhance precocity, have gained prominence in almond cultivation. A shift in cropping systems toward sustainable intensification (SI) pathways is imperative, and so maximizing branching density within the canopies of SHD trees is crucial to establish and maintain productive potential, especially for hedge-pruned trees. This study investigates the influence of different almond cultivars grafted onto a novel growth-controlling rootstock on tree architectural and growth parameters in a SHD orchard. This open field research provided valuable insights for the development and application of new tools and methods to increase productivity and sustainability in almond growing.
Three cultivars (Lauranne Avijour, Guara Tuono, and Filippo Cea) were evaluated in Gravina in Puglia (BA) over a two-year period. Canopy growth parameters, such as canopy volume and trunk cross-sectional area, and architectural traits, like branching density, branching angle, number and length of subterminal shoots, and number of brachyblasts, were measured through qualitative and quantitative measurements.
Results revealed significant differences in tree height, canopy thickness, width, volume, and vigor among the cultivars. Architectural traits, including branch parameters, brachyblast parameters, and subterminal shoots, varied among the cultivars. Lauranne displayed a more compact well-distributed canopy and exhibited the lowest vigor. Filippo Cea showed the highest vigor and the greatest canopy volume. Tuono had a higher number of buds and bud density. The best ideotype for SHD orchards is a smaller tree, with high branching density and smaller trunk diameters, i.e. the vigor. Cv. Lauranne seemed to be the best cultivar, mostly with the lowest tree vigor of all the cultivars involved. These findings provide valuable insights for almond growers and breeders seeking to optimize orchard design and management for enhanced SHD orchards productivity and sustainability. Future research will explore the relationship between canopy architecture and yield parameters, considering different scion/rootstock combinations in different environmental conditions.
扁桃树是全球主要的坚果作物，近年来其产量急剧增长。旨在优化资源利用效率并提高早熟性的超高密度（SHD）种植系统在扁桃栽培中日益受到重视。种植系统向可持续集约化（SI）途径转变势在必行，因此，最大化SHD树树冠内的分枝密度对于建立和维持生产潜力至关重要，尤其是对于采用绿篱式修剪的树木。本研究调查了嫁接到新型生长控制砧木上的不同扁桃品种对SHD果园树木结构和生长参数的影响。这项田间研究为开发和应用新工具及方法以提高扁桃种植的生产力和可持续性提供了宝贵见解。
在普利亚大区（BA）的格拉维纳对三个品种（洛朗·阿维茹、瓜拉·托诺和菲利波·切亚）进行了为期两年的评估。通过定性和定量测量，测定了树冠生长参数，如树冠体积和树干横截面积，以及结构特征，如分枝密度、分枝角度、次末端梢的数量和长度，以及短枝芽的数量。
结果显示，各品种在树高、树冠厚度、宽度、体积和活力方面存在显著差异。包括分枝参数、短枝芽参数和次末端梢在内的结构特征在各品种间有所不同。洛朗表现出更紧凑、分布均匀的树冠，且活力最低。菲利波·切亚活力最高，树冠体积最大。托诺的芽数量和芽密度更高。SHD果园的最佳理想型是树体较小、分枝密度高且树干直径较小，即活力较低。洛朗品种似乎是最佳品种，在所有参与品种中树体活力大多最低。这些发现为寻求优化果园设计和管理以提高SHD果园生产力和可持续性的扁桃种植者和育种者提供了宝贵见解。未来的研究将探索树冠结构与产量参数之间的关系，同时考虑不同环境条件下不同接穗/砧木组合。
