Apple is the most important species of fruit trees in the temperate climate zone. The consumption of apples is increasing, consumer demand is also growing. Therefore, good quality apples is an important factor in the development of apple orchards and the profitability of producing these fruit.
The cultivation of trees grafted on dwarf rootstocks (especially the popular M.9) with a shallow and not too extensive root system means that they have limited ability to take up water and nutrients from deeper soil layers.
Therefore, it is very important to ensure optimal soil moisture and providing trees with the essential nutrients in the amounts needed for the proper development and growth of plants.
Irrigation systems enable adequate water supply to trees. Drip irrigation is especially effective.
Drip irrigation system enables use of fertigation – supplying trees with nutrients supplied with fertilizers dissolved in water.
Fertilizers recommended for fertigation must be of very high quality, especially excellent solubility in water, practically no insoluble parts and high concentration of nutrients – DROPFERT 18/18/18, DROPFERT 9/10/36, MIKRO PLUS , MIKRO PLUS ULTRA.
For the fertigation of crops in the field conditions, you can also use universal fertilizers of PLONVIT series: PLONVIT OPTY, PLONVIT NITRO, PLONVIT PHOSPHO, PLONVIT KALI.
Fertigation, although it is a very effective method of fertilization, does not eliminate the need to foliar nutrition.
Presently, foliar treatments are an integral part of the mineral nutrition programs for fruit trees. They should be carried out in every orchard, also in fertigated ones, because:
- support supplying plants with major nutrients, especially in periods when fertigation is not carried out: nitrogen (PLONVIT NITRO or PLONVIT NITROMAG), phosphorus (PLONVIT PHOSPHO or PLONVIT FOSTAR), potassium (PLONVIT KALI or PLONVIT KALPRIM), magnesium (MIKROKOMPLEX), sulphur (PLONVIT SULVIT)
- provide plants with ingredients that are difficult to be taken from soil, e.g. boron (MIKROVIT BORON TURBO or MIKROVIT BORON)
- support supplying apple trees with calcium, which is a low-mobility component in the plant (OPTYCAL, PLONVIT CALCIUM TURBO), and should be constantly supplied to the fruit – practically from fruit setting to beginning of harvest. These treatments are necessary because even the high content of Ca in the soil does not guarantee its sufficient content in the fruit due to the accumulation of this element mainly in the leaves of tree
- provide plants with ingredients that directly affect the fruit color: manganese (AMINO ULTRA Mn-22 or MIKROCHELAT Mn-13 or MIKROVIT MANGANESE), phosphorus (PLONVIT PHOSPHO or PLONVIT FOSTAR), potassium (PLONVIT KALI or PLONVIT KALPRIM).
The good condition of apple trees throughout the growing season determines the yield of apples. Even short-term nutrient deficiency may have a negative impact on plant growth and yield. Therefore, it is necessary comprehensive assessment of the requirements of the plants at any stage of their development. This will allow them to be properly fed and biostimulated. The stimulators: TYTANIT, OPTYSIL, AMINOPRIM play an important role in these activities.
