Performance of nine apple cultivars (Malus domestica Borkh) grafted on two rootstocks grown in Lebanon

The Lebanese apple industry had lost its role as the main exporter of apples to neighbouring Arab countries, with less favourable climatic conditions and less fertile soils. Therefore, studies are necessary in order to evaluate the currently used apple production systems and in particular, to introduce new cultivars, appropriate rootstocks, and new cultivation systems for the different growing regions in Lebanon. For that, the high-density planting technique, with the use of spur-type (compact mutants) commercial apple cultivars grafted on dwarf rootstocks, was investigated for the first time in Lebanon. The main objective of this study was to investigate on the performance of two rootstocks. Both rootstocks and combined nine cultivars found performed well in the three locations, and this approach of combinations between dwarf rootstocks and selected apple cultivars, could be implemented in Lebanon, as an intermediate phase to shift from traditional seedling towards modern high density planting of apple farming in Lebanon.