Effect of rootstock on fruit quality of two sweet cherry cultivars

The effect of rootstock on fruit quality of 'Stella' and 'Lapins' sweet cherry was investigated. The rootstocks Prunus avium Sel Noisetec 4; CAB 11E, Edabriz, and Vladimir (all P. cerasus); and P. padus seedlings were compared. Grafted trees were planted in 1994 and trained to a vase canopy architecture. Fruits were sampled at commercial ripeness in 1999 and analyzed for sugars and organic acids by gas chromatography, and for vitamins (beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid) by HPLC. Moreover, total polyphenols and anthocyanins were evaluated spectrophotometrically. Fruit from 'Stella' had higher levels of malic acid, polyphenols and anthocyanins, whereas those from 'Lapins' had a significantly higher vitamin content. Among the rootstocks, the best was Sel Noisetec 4 which promoted higher fruit levels of glucose, fructose, sorbitol and vitamins. Another interesting rootstock was CAB 11E, which induced a fruit sugar composition similar to that on Sel Noisetec 4 and higher levels of polyphenols and anthocyanins. 'Stella' and 'Lapins' grafted on Vladimir had significantly lower amounts of all the biochemical compounds analyzed. Also, Edabriz had a negative effect on the fruit quality, particularly on vitamins, but affected positively the level of anthocyanins.