Effects of Rootstock on Leaf Element Content of ‘Italian’ Prune (Prunus domestica L.)1

Plantings of the ‘Italian’ prune ( P. domestica L.) were established on seedling peach ( P. persica L. Batsch) and clonal Myrobalan 29-C, B, 2-7 ( P. cerasifera , Ehrh.); Marianna 4001, 2623, 2624 ( P. cerasifera × Munsoniana?, Wight and Hedr.); and St. Julien A ( P. insititia L. Bullace) rootstocks in 7 orchard sites in Oregon. Leaf samples were collected in the years 1968 to 1970 and analyzed for element content. Trees with plum rootstocks had greater leaf N, K, Mn, and Zn and slightly less B and Mg than those on peach. Plum clones, Myrobalan 29-C, Myrobalan B, and St. Julien A, were more efficient in the uptake of Ca. There were positive correlations between N and Ca, N and Mg, N and B, N and Zn, Ca and Mg, Ca and B, and Mg and B for most of the stocks. There was a negative correlation between K and Mg for Myrobalan 2-7 and the 3 Marianna clones. Myrobalan B and Marianna 2623 and 2624 had a negative corrleation for K and Ca whereas St. Julien A had a positive correlation.