Influence of fertilization on fruit production and storage capacity in some apple varieties
Keywords:
fruit quality, yield, annual growth, fruit firmness, TSSAbstract
Apple fruits are one of the most commonly consumed fruits that can be enjoyed almost all year round. In order to obtain high quality fruits, it is imperative to apply fertilizers according to maintain the proper nutritional balance in the trees. The current research has been carried out to investigate the influence of fertilization in three apple varieties from the first year of production. The results obtained in this study emphasize that tree fertilization is essential to ensure optimal growth, superior fruit quality and high yield. Proper fertilization in the first year of production helps to grow and develop trees properly. This hypothesis was validated in terms of tree growth parameters and yield (annual growths, trunk diameter, trunk cross-sectional area, yield efficiency), fruit physical and chemical characteristics (fruit length, fruit weight, firmness, soluble solid content, pH, water content of the fruits). The results of this research reveal clear and significant differences between unfertilized and fertilized trees in all varieties analyzed within each parameter analyzed. Moreover, it has been observed that fruits harvested from fertilized trees had a longer shelf life and preserved much better compared to those harvested from unfertilized trees.
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