Articles
QUALITY AND STORABILITY IN RELATION TO FERTIGATION OF APPLE TREES CV. SUMMERRED
Article number
326_7
Pages
73 – 84
Language
Abstract
Fertigation is a new fertilizing system in fruit orchards.
The fruit trees are supplied with mineral nutrients together with drip irrigation water at regular intervals, daily or weekly.
Little is known about the influenceof fertigation on the fruit quality.
An experiment started in the year 1990 with the apple variety Summerred in order to study the effect of fertigation on fruit quality and storability.
Fertigation with a liquid NPK-mikro fertilizer named Superba S 6.5 1.04.7 mikro at two levels, 1 and 2 %, in the irrigation water was compared to a NPK-mikro fertilizer named NPK 11 5 18 mikro and supplied to the fruit trees in the spring with or without drip irrigation.
The amount of nitrogen supplied by the higher concentration of the fertilizer to the fertigation treatment was equal to the amount of N supplied in the other treatments.
The trees were sprayed with calcium chloride during the summer.
Fruit weight and distribution of the apples with regard to size were determined at harvest.
Some external and internal fruit characteristics were measured both at harvest and after storage.
Storage behavior was as well determined after two months storage.
The content of N increased in the fruits both with regard to fertilizing, fertilizing and drip irrigation and fertigation.
Fertigation with the higher level of fertilizer caused smaller fruits.
The apples from this treatment had also a weaker colour tone, were more yellow and had less surface colour.
The internal fruit characteristics were not influenced to the same extent.
The fruit sugar content decreased with increasing content of N in the apples.
No significant difference was found in firmness and acidity.
The amount of rotten fruits increased with regard to increasing N content in the apples.
As a result, the amount of fertilizer used in fertigation can be reduced compared to the amount of fertilizer usually used in fertilizing once a year to avoid bad quality and storability.
The fruit trees are supplied with mineral nutrients together with drip irrigation water at regular intervals, daily or weekly.
Little is known about the influenceof fertigation on the fruit quality.
An experiment started in the year 1990 with the apple variety Summerred in order to study the effect of fertigation on fruit quality and storability.
Fertigation with a liquid NPK-mikro fertilizer named Superba S 6.5 1.04.7 mikro at two levels, 1 and 2 %, in the irrigation water was compared to a NPK-mikro fertilizer named NPK 11 5 18 mikro and supplied to the fruit trees in the spring with or without drip irrigation.
The amount of nitrogen supplied by the higher concentration of the fertilizer to the fertigation treatment was equal to the amount of N supplied in the other treatments.
The trees were sprayed with calcium chloride during the summer.
Fruit weight and distribution of the apples with regard to size were determined at harvest.
Some external and internal fruit characteristics were measured both at harvest and after storage.
Storage behavior was as well determined after two months storage.
The content of N increased in the fruits both with regard to fertilizing, fertilizing and drip irrigation and fertigation.
Fertigation with the higher level of fertilizer caused smaller fruits.
The apples from this treatment had also a weaker colour tone, were more yellow and had less surface colour.
The internal fruit characteristics were not influenced to the same extent.
The fruit sugar content decreased with increasing content of N in the apples.
No significant difference was found in firmness and acidity.
The amount of rotten fruits increased with regard to increasing N content in the apples.
As a result, the amount of fertilizer used in fertigation can be reduced compared to the amount of fertilizer usually used in fertilizing once a year to avoid bad quality and storability.
Authors
N.-A. Ericsson
Keywords
Online Articles (36)