THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOME MACRO NUTRIENTS AND THE INCIDENCE OF BLOSSOM END BROWNING (BEB) IN ‘ANNA’ APPLE FRUITS

‘Anna’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is the most dominating cultivar in all countries that have mild winter climate like Egypt because of its low chilling requirements for bud break.
Blossom end browning (BEB) is a common phenomenon attack ‘Anna’ apple fruit in Egypt and causes high economic losses.
The objective of this study was to elucidate the effect of Ca, Mg, K and N nutrients on the incidence of this phenomenon in ‘Anna’ apple.
Mature fruits were harvested and put in one layer in carton boxes and stored under room temperature (26±2°C) for 10 days or until BEB developed.
Thereafter, samples of fruit (sound and BEB-disordered) slices were taken and prepared for determining the nutrients of Ca, Mg, K and N. The results showed that Ca concentration in apple fruit was lower in disordered fruits than Mg, K or N concentrations.
Similarly, Mg/Ca, K/Ca and N/Ca ratios were higher in the disordered fruits than those in sound ones especially in the distal terminus.
These results suggested that the imbalance between Ca and Mg, K and N concentrations might be the main reason for BEB incidence of ‘Anna’ apple.

IX International Symposium on Temperate Zone Fruits in the Tropics and Subtropics

M.Z. Sultan, G.A. Baghdady, H.A. Hifny , M.A. Fahmy

disorder, Mg/Ca ratio, macro elements, N/Ca ratio

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2014.1059.16