The production potential of domestic plums and its variation depending on the rootstock (in the conditions of the Lower Volga region)

Introduction. International and domestic experience shows that one of the main ways to increase the productivity of an industrial garden is to intensify it based on clonal low-growing rootstocks, which contribute to improving the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the plant. The Lower Volga region is a favorable area for plum cultivation. At the same time, the constant updating of varieties and rootstocks, and changing environmental conditions require constant study of new variety-rootstock combinations. Materials and methods. The research was conducted according to generally accepted methods. The year of planting varietal-rootstock combinations is 2019. On the new clone rootstocks, all plum varieties began bearing fruits in the 3d year (2022). Studies on the effect of rootstocks on the characteristics of plum varieties were conducted in 2022–2023. Results and discussion. The productivity of variety-rootstock combinations of plums depended on the rootstock and varied significantly within the variety. Thus, the yield of the Stanley variety ranged from 10.6 t/ha on the ALV rootstock to 24.5 t/ha on BS-3. The maximum yield for all varieties was recorded on the BS-1 and BS-3 rootstocks, which characterizes them as the most productive. The minimum yield for all varieties is noted on the ALV and red border rootstocks. When studying the quality of fruits of varietal rootstock combinations, this indicator varied from 11.6 to 21.9%, depending on the variety and rootstock. Conclusion. Thus, the rootstock must be selected not only for the region of the planned cultivation, but also for a certain variety. The research results can be useful in planning and laying new gardens, data on the effect of rootstocks on the productivity of grafted varieties allows choosing the most effective variety-rootstock combinations to ensure a stable harvest, increase the efficiency and profitability of gardening and provide the end user with high-quality fruit products.