Performance of Three PyrusPear Rootstocks in Northeastern North America

The adoption of high-density orchards over the past decades has resulted in significant improvements in yield and fruit quality. For pear, however, the lack of precocious rootstocks means that full production is often achieved many years after orchard establishment and remains one of the main challenges in pear production. In 2004, one coordinated rootstock field trial was established at two locations in the USA and Canada. The trials compared three Pyrus communisrootstocks: Old Home × Farmingdale (OHF) 97, OHF87 and Pyrodwarf, with 'Taylor's Gold Comice' and 'Concorde' pear as cultivars. After 12 years of growth, trees with OHF97 and OHF87 were the most vigorous under conventional management compared to Pyrodwarf. 'Taylor's Gold Comice' trees on Pyrodwarf rootstocks were 30% smaller than on OHF rootstocks. Cumulative yields were highest from 'Concorde' compared with 'Taylor's Gold Comice'. There were similar values regarding cumulative yield efficiency among the three rootstocks, and fruit size was generally smaller with Pyrodwarf, which also had the most suckers.