1. Effect of Calcium Nitrate Spraying on Mineral Contents and Storability of 'Elise' Apples.
- Author
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Domagala-Swiatkiewicz, I. and Blaszczyk, J.
- Subjects
- *
FOLIAR feeding , *NITRATES , *FRUIT composition , *APPLES - Abstract
The study was carried out in 2005-06 in the experimental orchard at Garlica Murowana in the Kraków area. The effect of early (0.4%) and late spraying (0.8%) with Ca(NO3)2 on storability and the calcium content as well as elemental mutual relations in 'Elise' fruit of a 5-year-old apple tree were studied. Trees were sprayed 3 times at 10-day intervals in the first time of fruit development (beginning of June) and 30 days before fruit harvest. Fruit mineral composition was estimated after harvest. Foliar sprayings with calcium before harvesting (30 days before) significantly increased the Ca concentration in apples in both years of the experiment. This dependence was only slight and observed in the case of early spraying (at the beginning of June). The late foliar treatment with calcium nitrate significantly reduced the N/Ca and K/Ca ratios in fruits. Fruits harvested with Ca(NO3)2 had higher flesh firmness and titratable acidity than the control ones. The use of 0.8% Ca(NO3)2 before fruit harvest reduced the percentage of physiological disorders and fungal diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009