Vegetative Habitus and Fruit Production of Self-rooted Cherry Cultivar ‘Hedelfingen’ Wild Type and Somaclonal Grafted on ‘Gisela 6’ and ‘Colt’ Rootstock

The study considers the morphological and physiological behaviour of self-rooted sweet cherry CV (Cultivar) ‘Hedelfinger’ wild type (H) and somaclonal (HS) grafted on ‘Gisela 6’ and ‘Colt’ rootstock. The somaclonal showed reduced vegetative vigour without any variation of the natural tree’s architecture. The rootstock ‘Gisela 6’ caused change in genotype habitus inducing a spreading shape, while ‘Colt’ increased trunk diameter and height. Fruit quality and size were not affected by genotype nor rootstock. ‘Gisela 6’, from these preliminary data, had proved the most suitable rootstock for both genotypes since it reduced the tree size and vigor and induced early bearing and the production of a greater number of fruiting spurs.