Physiologically active substances and agricultural practices influence on annual sweet cherry seedlings branching

The purpose of the study is to increase the yield of branched annual seedlings in weakly branching sweet cherry varieties by mechanical and chemical effects on oculants. Objectives: to determine the effect of top pinching and removal of apical leaves on the formation of lateral branches in annual seedlings; study of the effectiveness of top treatment with growth stimulants to improve biometric indicators and increase the yield of standard seedlings. In 2020-2021 in the conditions of the Moscow Region, in the experimental nursery of the Federal Scientific Selection and Technological Center for Horticulture and Nursery, research was carried out aimed at improving the quality of planting material for sweet cherries. The objects of research were seedlings of 3 varieties of sweet cherry (Chermashnaya, Gift of Ryazan, Tyutchevka), grafted onto the Izmailovsky clonal stock. The experiment was laid during the period of active growth when the plants reached a height of 60 cm. It included pinching the top, removing the top leaves, treatment with a growth regulator, and also their combined use. Applelin was used as a shoot stimulator. It has been established that by mechanical and chemical action on sweet cherry occulants, it is possible to increase the yield of branched annual seedlings by 50-80 %. The greatest effect of the impacts was noted in the weakly branching variety Chermashnaya, treatment with the drug Epllin in this variety increased the number of lateral branches by 4-4.5 times compared with the control, and pinching the top - by 3.8 times. The best biometric indicators of grafted plants and an increase in the yield of standard seedlings up to 100 % were noted after the removal of apical leaves and treatment with Epllin.