An Update on the 1991 Mcintosh 

 Strain/Rootstock Trial 



Wesley R. Autio 



Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Massachusetts 



As apple growers plan for future plantings, differences and those caused by rootstocks 



it is important to understand how different were additive. Secondarily, tree size and yield 



rootstocks and scions will perform. Much performance were studied. Because of some 



rootstock research in recent years has studied surprising results, the tree size and yield 



the interaction of scion and rootstock to allow performance from the Massachusetts half of 



for better choice of combinations for commer- the trial are reported here, 

 cial orchards. 



In 1991, a pair of plantings was established Materials & Methods 

 (one at the University of Massachusetts 



Horticultural Research Center in Belchertown In the summer of 1988, scions of Pioneer 



and one at the University of Maine Highmoor Mac (a Mcintosh seedling), Marshall Mcintosh, 



Farm in Monmouth) to study effects of a Chic-A-Dee Mcintosh, and Rogers Red Mcln- 



combination of Mcintosh strains plus one tosh were budded onto Mark, M. 7 EMLA, M. 27 



Mcintosh seedling and four rootstocks. The EMLA, and M.26 EMLA rootstocks at the 



original intent of this trial was to determine if University of Maine Highmoor Farm. Trees 



differences in ripening caused by strain were allowed to growth through the following 



14 Fruit Notes, Volume 62 (Number 4), Fall, 1997 



