Waldemar Treder

Effect of Drip Boron Fertigation on Yield and Fruit Quality in a High-Density Apple Orchard

ABSTRACT This study was carried out in 2001–2003 at the Experimental Orchard of the Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Skierniewice, Poland, on mature ‘Jonagold’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) trees (M.26 EMLA) planted at 4 × 2.5 m spacing on a sandy loam soil with low boron (B) availability. The trees were drip fertigated with B at rates of 0.5, 1, or 1.5 g tree− 1 over 4 weeks at 3-d intervals beginning at the stage of bud break. Plants that did not receive B via drip irrigation system served as a control. Drip B fertigation effectively increased water-soluble B concentrations in the soil and the status of this microelement in leaves of current season shoots. However, the B fertigation had no effect on tree vigor. In 2 out of 3 years, the drip B fertigation improved flower B status, fruit set, and yield. The efficiency of the drip B fertigation was not influenced by B rate. In all growing seasons, the drip B fertigation increased B level and a soluble solids concentration in the fruit flesh, but had no effect on mean fruit weight, color, titratable acidity, and fruit firmness. It was concluded that on coarse-textured soils with low B availability, the drip B fertigation of mature apple trees in high-density orchards can be recommended from the stage of bud burst to petal fall at a rate of 0.5 g tree− 1.

Biofertilization effect on growth, yield and fruit quality of apple cv Topaz

The experiment was carried out from the beginning of spring in 2014 in pots near the greenhouse of Research Institute of Horticulture in Skierniewice, Poland, on maiden apple trees cv. ‘Topaz ’. In May 2014, chemical fertilization (NPK) and various bioproducts: Fertigo, Micosat, Humus UP, Humus Active + Aktywit PM, Aktywit PM, BioFeed Quality, BioFeed Amin, Vinassa, Florovit Natura and Florovit Eko alone or with Pantoea sp., Pseudomonasfluorescens, Klebsiella oxytoca and Rhizobium sp. bacteria were applied to evaluate their effect on growth, yield and fruit quality. Fruit weight was markedly enhanced with Humus Active + Aktywit PM and Humus UP supplemented with beneficial bacteria, and by Humus UP and Biofeed Amin treatments, compared to control.