Phenological and Morphological Characteristics of Some Medlar Cultivars Grafted onto Quince Rootstocks

This study was conducted to evaluate the phenological and morphological characteristics of ‘Akçakoca77’ and ‘Istanbul’ medlar cultivars grafted on three different quince clone rootstocks [Quince BA29 (BA29), Quince A (QA) and Quince C (MC)] during 2021 and 2022 years. The earliest flowering was observed in the 'Istanbul' grafted on the BA29 and the MC rootstock, the latest flowering was observed in the 'Akçakoca77' grafted on the MC rootstock, and the latest harvest was observed in 'Istanbul' grafted on the BA29 rootstock. The BA29 and the QA rootstocks had higher rootstock diameter, trunk diameter, and tree height than the MC rootstock. The 'Istanbul' medlar cultivar had a higher crown volume than the 'Akçakoca77' cultivar. The trunk cross-sectional area was lower on the MC rootstock (11.05 cm2) than on the BA29 and the QA rootstocks in terms of rootstock averages and higher on the 'Istanbul' cultivar (28.58 cm2) than the 'Akçakoca77' cultivar (20.43 cm2) in terms of cultivars averages. Rootstock and cultivars had a significant effect on leaf area. The leaf area of the ‘Akçakoca77’/QA combination was higher than the other combinations. Annual shoot length was higher in the QA rootstock (38.63 cm) than the MC rootstock (25.89 cm) in terms of rootstocks, and the 'Istanbul' (44.27 cm) was higher than ‘Akçakoca77’ cultivar (21.40 cm) in terms of cultivars. According to this research, the research needs to be continued for a more extended period to obtain more precise results and recommend the most appropriate cultivar/rootstock combination.