Growth Performance of 'Granny Smith' and 'Fuji' Cultivars Grafted onto Dwarf Rootstocks: a Preliminary Study in Eastern Anatolia

This study was carried out to determine the growth performance of 'Granny Smith' and 'Fuji' apple varieties, which are widley grown in Turkey, grafted to dwarf rootstocks within their initial two years under continental ecological conditions of the Van Region in East Anatolia. In the first year, the vegetative characters of the cultivars were measured, whereas the yield and the growth rate were both determined in the second year. The yields of 'Granny Smith' and 'Fuji' varieties were 2.38 and 3.88 kg, with average fruit weights of 173.71 g and 136.76 g, respectively. The concentrations of soluble solids, an important quality attribute, were 11.2% and 12.9% for 'Granny Smith' and 'Fuji', respectively. Titratable acidity, which indicates the maturity of the fruit and specifies the market suitability, was found to be 0.37% in 'Granny Smith' and 0.52% in 'Fuji'. Although some properties differed between these cultivars, the firmness of both cultivars was the same, with a value of 6.6 libre. Although both varieties have a double sigmoid vegetative growth, 'Granny Smith''s vegetative growth was relatively better than that of 'Fuji', whereas 'Fuji' had a higher productivity. However, for precise evaluation of yields, the period of economical production is required. Preliminary results of morphological, phenological, and pomological tests showed that the varieties 'Granny Smith' and 'Fuji' grafted onto dwarf rootstocks have a potential for increased production in the Van region of Eastern Turkey.