Empyrean® 1 is a peach hybrid with extraordinary vigor. This rootstock has a lower chilling requirement than Hansen 536, making it useful in low chill conditions sometimes experienced in California. Bloom timing is similar to the common Nemaguard rootstock, while harvest timing is similar to Hansen 536. The vigor of Empyrean® 1 results in quick space-filling and rapid increases in production. In young trees, high almond production has not sacrificed nut size. Empyrean® 1 shows promise of being one of the best and highest yielding almond rootstocks available for well drained soils.

Empyrean®1Cv.(VI89)

PARENTAGE: Prunus persica x Prunus davidiana

ORIGIN: CNR, Italy

OLDEST TEST SITES IN THE US: 2003 with Peaches in western Colorado, 2004 with almonds in the San Joaquin Valley.

COMPATIBILITY: Almonds, some plums (European and Japanese), peaches and some apricots.

VIGOR: Approximately 120% the vigor of Nemaguard and 110% the vigor of Hansen 536 with almond scions.

GROWTH UNIFORMITY: Good with almond.

ROOTSTOCK INDUCED TREE FORM: Slightly more spreading than Nemaguard.

ANCHORAGE: Superior to Nemaguard. Tests are continuing.

YIELD EFFICIENCY: Excellent with almonds in the early years. Tests are continuing.

SUCKERING: Does not produce suckers.

CHILLING REQUIREMENT: Lower chilling requirement than Hansen 536.

COLD HARDINESS: Has not been well tested. No problems have appeared in a western Colorado test site.

NEMATODE RESISTANCE: Resistant to Rootknot nematode. Tests are ongoing for Ring nematodes. Not resistant to Lesion nematodes.

EFFECT OF ROOTSTOCK ON BACTERIAL CANKER SUSCEPTIBILITY: Unknown.

OAK ROOT FUNGUS TOLERANCE: Untested.

PHYTOPHTHORA SENSITIVITY: Appears similar to Nemaguard, but needs more testing.

VERTICILLIUM RESISTANCE: Slightly susceptible, but much less than Lovell rootstock

DISEASE PROBLEMS--OTHER: Unknown.

ASPHIXIA TOLERANCE: Unknown

DROUGHT TOLERANCE: Unknown

CROWN GALL SUSCEPTIBILITY: Susceptible. Level of susceptibility is not extreme, but needs more evaluation to determine the level of susceptibility experienced in orchards.

HIGH PH TOLERANCE: Moderate.

SALT TOLERANCE: Good. Performs better than many Peach-Almond hybrids

CALCAREOUS SOIL TOLERANCE: Moderate.

REJECTION COMPONENT OF REPLANT DISORDER SUSCEPTIBILITY: Good. Similar to Hansen 536

Empyrean®1 Rootstock

Williams Tree Spacing 15 x 24 LBS. NUTMEAT/ACRE

ROOTSTOCK VARIETY AVE. KERNEL 3RD 4TH TOTAL WEIGHT (G)

Empyrean®1 Monterey 1.39 327 2008 2334 Lovell Monterey 1.45 312 1949 2261

Empyrean®1 Nonpareil 1.14 934 2514 3448 Lovell Nonpareil 1.09 886 1849 2735

Butte County LBS. NUTMEAT/ACRE

ROOTSTOCK 4TH LEAF RANKING

Empyrean®1 1321 a Atlas 1190 ab Nickels 1162 bc Lovell 1042 cd Rootpac-R® 1025 d Krymsk®86 1017 d

Kern County

LBS. NUTMEAT/ACRE

ROOTSTOCK 4TH LEAF

Empyrean®1 1713 Nemaguard 1577 Krymsk®86 1596 Atlas 1602 Hansen 536 1707

•Peach Hybrid with High Vigor

•Large Trunk & Tree Canopy

•Reaches Productive Harvests Sooner

•Salt Tolerant

•Less Sensitive to Crown Gall than Hansen 536

•Replant Disorder Tolerance Similar to Hansen 536

Cumulative Almond Yields on Empyrean®1

Williams Tree Spacing 18 x 22 LBS. NUTMEAT/ACRE

ROOTSTOCK VARIETY AVE. KERNEL 3RD 4TH TOTAL WEIGHT (G)

Empyrean®1 Nonpareil 1.11 2194 2732 4926 Lovell Nonpareil 1.17 1599 1727 3326 Bright Hybrid® 5 Nonpareil 1.13 2387 2359 4746 Krymsk® 86 Nonpareil 1.10 2013 2408 4421 Rootpac-R® Nonpareil 1.12 1387 2086 3472

Stanislaus County LBS. NUTMEAT/ACRE ROOTSTOCK VARIETY 4TH 6TH 7TH 8TH TOTAL

Nemaguard Nonpareil 2650 2719 3100 1946 10415 Empyrean®1 Carmel 2797 3434 2182 2614 11027

Nemaguard Nonpareil 3191 4381 3285 2688 13525 Empyrean®1 Carmel 3409 5035 4155 3505 16104 Data from Roger Duncan, UCCE Stanislaus

4th Leaf Nonpareil Yields on Empyrean®1

cv. (VI 89)

Relative Salt Tolerance of 15 Almond Rootstocks

% sodium %chlorideNemaguard 0.99 0.51lovell 0.70 0.50Guardian 0.76 0.41cadaman 0.38 0.25Empyrean® 1 0.09 0.07hansen 0.09 0.07Nickels 0.28 0.15GF 677 0.04 0.05cornerstone 0.04 0.05Viking 0.29 0.21Atlas 0.94 0.29Krymsk®86 0.60 0.32Penta 0.30 0.41Julior 0.35 0.16empyrean®101 0.06 0.04

roger duncan, ucce

Yields Nonpareil Nutmeats lb/acre

0

4000

8000

Lovell

NONP

AREIL

12000

15000

CARM

EL

20000

CARM

EL

NONP

AREIL

Empyrean®1Nemaguard

Yields Nonpareil Nutmeats lb/acre

1500

2000

2500

Lovell

MONT

EREY

MONT

EREY

NONP

ARIEL

3000

3500NO

NPAR

IEL

Empyrean®1 Lovell2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

Lovell Bright’s Hybrid®5

4926

3326

4421

3472

Empyrean®1 Krymsk®86 Rootpac-R®

Yields Nonpareil Nutmeats lb/acre

4746

5500

800

900

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

Atlas Nickels Lovell

1321

1190 1162

10421025 1017

Empyrean®1 Rootpac-R® Krymsk®86

Yields Nonpareil Nutmeats lb/acre

1450

1500

1550

1600

1650

1700

1750

Nemaguard Krymsk®86

1713

1577

1596 1602

1707

Empyrean®1 Atlas Hansen 536

Yields Nonpareil Nutmeats lb/acre

Replant Disorder Test Results

Stem

diam

eter in

creas

e (mm

)

Lovell

Nemagu

ardBHOK 1

BHOK 10

BHOK 28

BHOK 32

BHOK 50

Empyr

ean® 1

Bright’s

Hybrid® 5

Bright’s

Hybrid® 106

Garnem

15

Hansen

536

Hansen

536-OR*

Control

ler 5

Krymsk® 1

Krymsk® 2

Krysmk® 9

Krymsk® 86

Tempro

pac*

PAC 9908

-02

Replan

tpac*Myro

bol

Marianna

2624

Greg Browne, USDA

Non-fumigated Fumigated35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0