Original scientific paper
Growth and cropping of ‘Golden Delicious’ apple related to fertigation with nitrogen
Zlatko Čmelik
Stanislav Tojnko
Abstract
The study was conducted in a ‘Golden Delicious’/M9 orchard (3000 trees/ha) to investigate the effects of fertigation with N at 45, 60 and 120 kg/ha, and irrigation without fertilizers on the growth and productivity of the crop. Treatment durations were from 1 May to 20 June, and from 1 May to 1 August. Treatments began during the 2nd year after planting, and lasted eight years (1992-1999). Fertigation with N at different rates showed no consistent effect on the dynamic of cropping, cumulative yield and yield efficiency. The tendency to biennial bearing in the treatment with N-fertigation was generally low and markedly higher in the treatment without fertigation. The highest cumulative yield, with low index of alternate bearing was obtained in the treatment receiving 60 kg N/ha from 1 May to 20 June. The yield was obtained increasing dynamic followed the similar trend in all treatments, and full productivity was achieved in the fifth year after planting.
Keywords
Malus x domestica; mineral nutrition; yield; dynamic of cropping; alternate bearing
Hrčak ID:
4505
URI
Publication date:
10.7.2006.
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