THE ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY HAIL TO SOME PLUM CULTIVARS IN BISTRITA AREA

Abstract

The European plum (Prunus domestica L.) remains the leader of the fruit tree species cultivated in Romania in terms of cultivated area and total fruit production. In order to obtain profitable yields, however, the impact of abiotic and biotic stress factors, which can cause significant damage to the trees, must also be considered. The climate change experienced globally, and in Romania as well, contributes to the increasingly frequent occurrence of extreme weather events that can irreparably affect crops. Hail is one of the meteorological phenomena with negative effects in fruit growing, sometimes causing significant economic losses. Such an unfortunate event occurred on June 4, 2024, at the FRDS Bistrița, with a torrential rain accompanied by strong hail that caused considerable damage to the plum crop. To assess the impact of the hail, fruit samples from 26 plum cultivars grwun in a field trial were collected and analyzed in terms of the mechanical effects on the fruits. Thus, four damage classes were established: (1) no lesions, (2) superficial lesions, (3) open lesions, and (4) 31% to 60% of pulp destroyed. The cultivars Elena, Gras ameliorat and Agent are noteworthy, which had fruit without lesions in a proportion of 28.1%, 21.3% and 16.9%, respectively. In contrast, in the cultivars Diana, Joganta, Jofela, Topend plus, Anna Spath, Delia, Zamfira, Iulia, Flora, Jubileu 50, Stanley and Minerva, no intact fruits were identified. The results highlight important differences in the behavior of the varieties both in terms of tolerance to mechanical hail damage and susceptibility to Monilinia spp infections, underlining the importance of genetic selection in the context of intensifying climatic stress.