Variability and heritability of tree and shoot characteristics in ‘Oblačinska’ sour cherry clones

Abstract

In 13 clones of ‘Oblačinska’ sour cherry, during the three-year period of investigation, the characteristics of the tree (trunk circumference, trunk height, tree height, crown height, crown diameter) and the shoot (shoot diameter, shoot length, internode length) were studied. Significant differences between the studied clones and years of testing were determined for all investigated traits. Interaction clone × year showed significant differences only for the shoot characteristics. The lowest tree vigour was found in clone 13, and the highest in clones 3 and 6. Clone 3 also had the highest shoot length and internode length. The lowest shoot length was observed in clone 12, and internode length in clone 9. The coefficients of variation and heritability were significantly higher for the tree characteristics than for the shoot characteristics. The lowest coefficient of variation was determined for the shoot diameter (3.12%), and the highest for the trunk circumference (22.03%). The coefficient of heritability ranged from 24.32% for the internode length up to 98.37% for the trunk circumference. The high values of the coefficients of heritability obtained mainly for the tree characteristics indicate the low impact of environmental factors on their manifestation. The obtained results can be of importance for the selection of the best clones of ‘Oblačinska’ sour cherry.