Turkish Hazel (Corylus colurna L.) Offspring Variability as a Foundation for Grafting Rootstock Production

A. Kurjakov, S. Bijelic, Z. Keserovic, J. Ninic-Todorovic, R. Cabilovski, J. Cukanovic, S. Cerovic, V. Ognjanov

Abstract: The production of Hazel planting material grafted on Turkish hazel rootstocks in the Faculty of Agriculture nursery Rimski Sancevi had commenced in 1989. Preliminary research in the selection of Turkish Hazel parent trees for seed production and collection dates back to 1983. Quality seeds are a prerequisite for the successful production of seedlings. In the agro-ecological conditions of the nursery, monitoring of the one- and two-year-old Turkish Hazel seedling growth indicators demonstrated that one-year-old plants were not viable rootstocks. However, two-year-old seedlings, based on the development of the root neck and the achieved plant height, showed potential for grafting Hazel on Turkish Hazel rootstocks. In the first ten days of April 2010, tongue grafting was performed. The grafting success ranged from 53.10% on the rootstock A1 for the decorative form Corylus avellana ‘Atropurpurea’, to 92.60% on the rootstock B9 and Tonda Gentile Romana variety.

Keywords: grafting; nursery production; nuts; seedling; Turkish Hazel

Date published: 2019-08-22