Apple trees: Increasing the number of fruits while reducing fertilizer applications

Apple trees: Increasing the number of fruits while reducing fertilizer applications

 

A single application of a Multicote™ Agri blend can supply the apple trees yearly nutrients demand while reducing the farmer's practice nutrients amount

   Description

Crop/Cultivar & Growing method

Apple

Area

Volano, Rovereto (TN) Italy

Objectives

Evaluate the efficiency of a Multicote™ Agri blend in a single application in a sandy soil with heavy rain conditions, compared to the Framer's practice.

Haifa product + formula

Coated Urea, Potassium Nitrate and MAP

Accomplish objectives

Completely

 

Report date:  

2008-2010

Experimental plan

 

Variety

Number of plants

Stark

8

Fuji

9

Galak

11

Repetitions

1 line of each Variety

Treatments

 

Treatment

N(kg/ha)

P(kg/ha)

K(kg/ha)

 

Farmer's practice (PF) - several applications

143

93

200

Multicote™ Agri blend – a single application at the late spring of each year (70% of N,P,K level)

100

65

140

 

 

 

Application methods

Banding, 5cm besides the plant.

Harvest date

2008-2010

Soil characteristics

Sandy soil

Grower's current fertilization practice

Split application, soluble fertilizer

Irrigation method

Drippers

Climate conditions

Heavy rains

Results

General results

The results show that a single Multicote™ Agri application, at 70% level of nutrients, have a higher number of fruits and a higher average weight per fruit, for all the tested varieties.

A single application of a Multicote™ Agri blend was able to produce the same yield while using 30% less nutrients by following the real crop demand and supplying the needed nutrients throughout the growing season.

 

 

2008

2009

2010

Stark

n.plant: 8

n. fruits

weight (Kg)

n. fruits

weight (Kg)

n. fruits

weight (Kg)

Multicote™ Agri

18.8

3.8

21.3

4.5

18.8

3.6

FP

19.0

3.6

20.0

3.9

20.0

3.9

 Fuji

n.plant: 9

 

 

 

 

 

 

Multicote™ Agri

14.8

3.0

16.3

2.8

18.9

3.3

FP

15.0

3.1

15.3

2.7

15.3

2.7

Gala

n.plant:11

 

 

 

 

 

 

Multicote™ Agri

17.8

2.7

21.2

3.7

20.2

3.7

FP

18.0

2.7

19.5

3.2

19.5

3.2

 

Conclusions

Summary

 

The results of this study show that a single application of a Multicote™ Agri blend can supply the Apple trees yearly nutrients demand while reducing the Farmer's practice nutrients amount by 30% and increasing yield both in terms of the number and the size of the fruits

 

 

Need more information about how to grow apple tree? You can always return to the apple tree fertilizer & tomato crop guide table of contents