Influence of tree shelters,irrigation and branch pruning on early field performance of micropropagated wild cherry cv. F12/1

The growth potential of micropropagated wild cherry cv. F12/1 under field conditions was assessed. Relatively short trees (19–22 cm tall) were planted in the field just seven months after transfer from tissue culture to soil. Irrigation and shelters promoted shoot heights in the first (establishment) year. If planting techniques can be developed which reduce branch production, then the cost of corrective pruning to achieve clean stems is also reduced. Shelters, but not irrigation almost totally inhibited outgrowth of branches produced in spring. Outgrowth of spring branches by unsheltered trees was strongly influenced by tree height at planting, with shorter trees producing fewer branches. In the second and third years of the trial, pruning branches from trees that had been planted in shelters, resulted in taller trees. By the end of the third year, pruned trees had smaller stem diameters than unpruned trees. These results are discussed with respect to using cv. F12/1 as a productive timber tree.