Growth, yield and fruit quality of Chimarrita peach trees grafted on different rootstocks

Rootstocks influence the performance and characteristics of fruit trees. However, there is still insufficient information on the relation of rootstocks in mainly cultivars of peach trees grown in Brazil. Therefore, this study aims at evaluating the performance of eight rootstocks: Aldrighi, Capdeboscq, Flordaguard, Nemaguard, Okinawa, Umezeiro, Tsukuba and Selecao Viamao grafted by ‘Chimarrita’ peach tree, planted in 2006 and evaluated in the 2013/2014, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 in Capao do Leao, RS, Brazil. The following dependent variables were evaluated on the field: floral phenology, affinity with rootstocks, trunk diameter, crown volume, number of fruits, fruit mass and productivity. Fruit mass, diameter, color, pulp firmness, total soluble solid content, titratable acidity, total phenolic content, total carotenoid content, L-ascorbic acid content and antioxidant activity were evaluated. The Umezeiro rootstock provided the lowest values for crown volume, trunk diameter, number of fruits and productivity. The blossoming period of peach trees can be early or delayed depending on rootstock and harvest seasons. Field compatibility constant of Chimarrita cultivar was higher with the rootstocks of Capdeboscq, Okinawa, Tsukuba and Aldrighi. Fruits of plants grafted on Capdeboscq and Okinawa rootstocks showed reddish epidermis. The Okinawa rootstock enabled ‘Chimarrita’ peaches to have higher soluble solid concentrations and L-ascorbic acid. The highest concentrations of total carotenoids were verified in the pulp of fruits obtained from the ‘Chimarrita’ cultivar grafted on Aldrighi, Okinawa, Tsukuba and Umezeiro. The antioxidant activity of the peach pulp was higher on the Capdeboscq rootstock.   Key words: Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, vegetate-productive behavior, phytochemical.