Hedelmänviljelyä kohdanneesta tuhosta v. 1955-56

Authors

• Jaakko Säkö Puutarhantutkimuslaitos, Piikkiö

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.71414

Abstract

The dry summer and the subsequent severe winter have again caused considerable damage to fruit farming in our country. In order to obtain an idea of the extent and type of damage in the various parts of the country, a questionnaire was distributed, jointly with the Fruit Farmers’ Association, to 717 fruit farmers. In the questionnaires, of which 171 were returned with sufficiently complete information, answers were requested as to the number of trees of various species which had passed the winter without any injury whatsoever, as well as of the damaged and dead trees. Information was further requested relating to soil, character of the terrain, treatment of the soil on the fruit farm, etc. The material thus obtained for scrutiny consisted of 45.000 apple-trees. Certain data on pear, plum, and cherry-trees were also obtained. The answers were grouped so as to constitute 10 more or less natural hibernation regions which can be seen from the accompanying map. The hibernation of apple-trees in the different regions has been detailed in tables 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Tables 9, 10, 11 and 12 show how apple-trees have stood the winter under different conditions of character of terrain and soil quality, and on grass land or upon bare soil. The data on the stocks have been compiled in tables 13 and 14. The study of the present material reveals that the varieties Kaneli and Sokeri-Miron have to be considered the most hardy ones among the varieties which are more commonly cultivated in our country. On the other hand, Oranie, Signe Tillisch, Linda and Wealthy would be most easily damaged among our standard varieties. The influence of the stocks has not had any decisive significance in regard to the hibernation of the trees this time. However, it was found, e.g., at the Research Institute at Piikkiö that Åkerö and Melba trees have borne up better in the stock test on M II than, for instance, on M IV and Normandie stocks. The character of the soil and its conditions of slope, again, have had a very marked influence upon the extent of damage.