Performance of high density planting systems of ‘Celina’ pears during the first cropping years in a Nordic climate

Abstract

An intensive planting of ‘Celina’ pears on quince ‘Adams’ rootstock was established in May 2015 at NIBIO Ullensvang, western Norway. Five training systems (super spindles, trees with two leaders parallel to the row directions, slender spindles, and V-hedges of trees with 2 or with 4 leaders) were evaluated. Row distance was 3.5 m, and planting distance was 1.0 m except for super spindle trees and V-hedge with two leaders (0.5 m). Cultivars ‘Anna’ and ‘Fritjof’, used as pollinizers, were evenly distributed in the orchard and had good overlapping in flowering time. To get a faster establishment, the trees were headed back in winter 2016 when the formation of the different training systems was started. The first fruits were harvested in 2018. Due to unfavorable pollination conditions, fruit set in 2018 was very low. Average yields varied between 2.7 t ha-1 for the super spindle trees to 10 t ha-1 for the spindle trees. As a result of ample flowering and optimum pollination conditions, fruit set in 2019 was excellent, and average yields varied between 17 t ha-1 for the 2-leader trees planted parallel to the row direction to 47 t ha-1 for the 2-leader V-hedge trees. Fruit size was inversely related to fruit number per tree. Fruit weight depended on crop load per canopy volume and varied between 130 g for the two smallest trees (super spindles and 2-leader V-hedge system) and 180 g for the 2-leader trees planted parallel to the row direction. Soluble solid contents were high (11% on average), with no differences between training systems. After three cropping years, the spindle trees and V-hedge with 4 leaders per tree were the most productive systems per tree. However, the super spindle and 2-leader V-hedge system with twice the number of trees were the most productive systems per hectare. © 2022 International Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved.