INTEGRAL MANAGEMENT OF APPLE CULTURE IN ECUADOR’S TEMPERATE ZONE

Apples in Ecuador rank foremost in the fruit culture in the temperate zone between 2 600 and 3 200 m above sea level and a temperature averaging 13 °C. The present paper is a collection of the best resulting individual tests carried out in the Experimental Farm at Pillaro lying at 2 760 m above sea level in the Tungurahua province, where the fruit culture project of the INIAP (National Institute for Agricultural Research) has been working since 1979. The principal aspects refer to pruning, fertilization, breaking of dormancy, plague and disease control, weed control and irrigation among others, which applied chronologically make up the technological package of cultural work.

The adequate use of resources has resulted in greater benefit by reducing the number of fitosanitary treatments to 5 or 7 against up to 25 generally applied by some ecuadorian growers.
The internal and external quality of fruit has improved, and a schedule has been developed that is easy to use by the grower, enabling a reduction of pesticide contamination and attaining yields of between 20 and 30 t/ha.

International Symposium on Fruit Growing in Tropical Highlands

N. Soria

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1992.310.7