Effects of autumn nitrogen nutrition and a winter restbreaking spray on the growth, development and chemical composition of young 'Golden Delicious' apple trees grown in sand culture
Date
1979
Authors
Terblanche J.H.
Stassen P.J.C.
Hesebeck I.
Strydom D.K.
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Abstract
Omission of N during autumn on pot-grown 'Golden Delicious/Merton 793' apple trees resulted in accelerated leaf-drop and lower total N, soluble N, protein N, P and Ca, and higher starch, total sugars and K in the dormant terminal shoots in comparison with a full autumn N treatment. Omission of both autumn N and the artificial rest-breaking spray resulted in delayed bud-break and flowering but the effect of these two treatments was inter-dependent. Neither the autumn application of N alone nor the rest-breaking spray alone resulted in completely satisfactory bud-breaking and flowering. Omission of autumn N and/or the rest-breaking spray reduced flower number per tree. Omission of both factors resulted in very poor fruit-set while, where only one of these two factors was omitted, the fruit-set was not reduced. Fruit-set was strongly related to the time of flowering. Autumn N nutrition also showed a residual effect on growth and the leaf nutritional status the following season. © 1979.
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Scientia Horticulturae
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