The influence of drip irrigation and woodchip mulch on growth and first yield of sour cherries

The trial was established at the Latvia State Institute of Fruit Growing in 2007 to determine the effect of soil moisture adjustment on the yield of different sour cherry cultivars. Woodchip mulch and drip irrigation were used on cultivars ʹBulatnikovskayaʹ, ʹDesertnaya Morozovoiʹ, ʹLatvijas Zemaisʹ, ʹOrlicaʹ, ʹShokoladnicaʹ, ʹTamarisʹ and ʹZentenesʹ. In general the use of drip irrigation increased the vegetative growth of sour cherries. The use of woodchip mulch tended to decrease growth in the first two growing years but significantly advanced growth in the third growing year. The use of drip irrigation did not influence the yield of sour cherries, but the treatment with woodchip mulch decreased the yield. The cultivar ʹBulatnikovskayaʹ was the most productive.