Influences of Propagation Method, Rootstock, Number of Axes, and Cultivation Site on ‘Fuji’ Scions Grown as Single or Multi-Leader Trees in the Nursery

The adoption of high-density plantings (HDP) in apple orchards started with the introduction of dwarfing rootstocks from East Malling’s (UK) breeding program. A range of spindle-derived training systems have been developed to improve light interception/distribution with a variation in leader numbers. Many of these training systems cannot guarantee early, consistent, and uniform illumination of the entire canopy. For this reason, planar 2-D canopies have been developed with varying numbers of primary axes with numerous second-order shoots. In this trial, carried out at the nursery level, three sites were selected: one in New Zealand (Hawke’s Bay Research Centre) and two in Italy (Bologna and Trento). Trees were produced with a single-, bi-, and tri-axis system utilizing three rootstocks (‘M27’, ‘M9’, ‘MM106’), characterized by an increasing level of vigor. The cultivation site played an important role in modulating early tree performance. Multi-leader trees reduced average shoot length in the Italian sites in the first year after grafting. The number of shoots and total growth developed on multi-leader trees was higher than single-axis trees. This may benefit growers that seek to use canopy architecture manipulation to fill space and control vigor when establishing HDP orchards

L'uso di prodotti di protezione dal gelo in frutticoltura: primi risultati dalle applicazioni in Trentino=Use of cryo-protectant products in fruit-growing: results of the first application trials in Trentino

International audienceL'article vise à établir un examen critique du traitement médiatique réservé à l'entrepreneuriat numérique. Il propose ainsi de caractériser le paradigme à partir duquel se forgent les réflexions des journalistes à l'égard des start-ups digitales et des entrepreneurs du Web. Les réponses obtenues auprès de 129 journalistes permettent de mettre en évidence trois résultats majeurs. D'abord, nous établissons la présence d'une forme d'homogénéité des croyances journalistiques. Ensuite, nous rendons compte de l'existence d'un écart entre les convictions médiatiques et les résultats de recherche en Sciences de Gestion. Enfin, nous montrons que les approximations présentes dans certains articles de presse sont conscientisées et assumées par les journalistes. L'article intègre une série de discussions pour comprendre les incidences de ces résultats sur le comportement et les actions des acteurs de l'écosystème entrepreneurial

Per i portinnesti del melo serve una ventata di novità

M9 è per il momento l’unica opzione del frutticoltore, ma si auspica l’entrata in commercio in tempi brevi di nuovi portinnesti, promettenti anche per gli ambienti del Nord Italia, come le selezioni americane G 41, G 11 e G 93

Nuovo obiettivo in frutteto: sostenibilità a 360 gradi

Le tecniche per rendere il frutteto sostenibile sono in continua evoluzione. Il concetto di parete fruttifera con alberi sotto al metro di larghezza, dove si praticano potatura, dirado e diserbo meccanizzati, ha dato buoni risultati, ma la nuova frontiera è la rete monofilare, che permette di coniugare la sostenibilità economica con quella tecnica (agronomica, di difesa e nutrizionale

Bi-axis: an alternative to slender spindle for apple orchards

The use of the dwarfing M.9 rootstock is widespread in apple orchards due to the high tree efficiency it induces. Today it is possible to purchase a given type of tree congruent with the desired orchard design. Alongside the traditional chipbudded trees produced in a two-year cycle, there are types like two-year knip plants, trees obtained with the June bud (1-year-old) and bench-budded plants in a oneyear cycle. These different types of plants are suitable for the spindle training system. The innovative ‘bi-axis’ system requires a pre-formed, split-branch tree produced in the nursery that obviates the need for heading in the orchard and the one-year delay in shoot-system formation. The spindle system is widely employed in apple orchards to boost planting densities up to 4,000 trees per hectare. The bi-axis system utilizes the novel idea of training plants with 2 axes so as to divide the vigour over more branches. Two sets of trials are underway with ‘Fuji’ in different environments, i.e. an upland orchard in Trento Province and a lowland one in the Po valley, to compare the vegetative and cropping traits of bi-axes against the traditional spindle in high density plantings. The comparison of the two systems has so far shown some differences in tree growth patterns and yield. Vigour is distributed over two axes in the Y- tree shape which helps control tree-growth. Shoot length is almost halved in the bi-axis system compared to the spindle. No significant differences in yield and crop quality were found in the first 2-3 years, but the bi-axis trees seem to produce better fruit red overcolour than spindle after fourfive year