EFFECT OF CALCIUM APPLICATIONS BY DRIP FERTIGATION ON APPLE FRUIT CALCIUM LEVELS

High fruit calcium (Ca) levels at harvest are necessary to ensure high fruit quality and long storage life in deciduous fruit.
The effects of applying factorial combinations of Ca at three rates (standard [S], S+40% [high, H] and S-40% [low, L]), and stage of fruit development at two stages (full bloom to 40 days after full bloom [dafb] [early] and 40 dafb to harvest [late]), by drip fertigation, were tested over two seasons on young ‘Brookfield Gala’ apple trees on M7 and M793 rootstocks.
In season two (third leaf), fruit Ca concentration were significantly higher in the H(early)+H(late), than in all other treatments except L+S and H+L. Fruit Ca contents responded similarly.
Stage of development at which the various Ca application rates were applied had no significant effects on fruit Ca levels.
Calcium concentrations and contents in fruit from trees on M7 significantly exceeded (by c. 14.8 and 14.4%, respectively) those from trees on M793.

II All Africa Horticulture Congress

J. Joubert, P.J.C. Stassen, J. Wooldridge , E.Y. Reinten

application rate, concentration, content, fruit size, fruit quality, M7, M793, Malus × domestica, rootstock

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2013.1007.36