The Effect of Summer Pruning on Calcium Content of Fruit and Leaves of Apple Trees

Uckun, Kadir; Altindal, Mesut; Cansu, Murat

The Effect of Summer Pruning on Calcium Content of Fruit and Leaves of Apple Trees

2017

Uckun, Kadir | Altindal, Mesut | Cansu, Murat

Any applications promoting vegetative growth effects adversely Ca content of fruit. There is a violent race between fruit and vegetative parts in the use of existing Ca and vegetative parts are more powerful in this race. Although nitrogen, P, Mg and K can be transported easily in phloem, Ca ions are transported very small amounts and slowly. Calcium ions absorbing can be reached to meristematic tissue by the xylem or transpiration that occurring in leaves. Although Ca deficiency is not seen in apple leaves, it is seen commonly in the fruits. This study was carried out "Starkrimson Delicious" cultivar grafted onto seedling rootstocks and at full yield and it was investigated efficiency of summer pruning on Ca content of leaves and fruit. In late May, summer pruning was made when shoots of the same year were approximately 20 cm length. In early July, both leaves and fruit samples were collected when fruits were about 70 g and Ca contents were determined and the applications were compared in terms of Ca and the other nutrients. While Ca content of leaves were 1.29 % in summer pruning, 1.26% in not summer pruning and not statistically significant. In fruit, Ca content were 59.47 mg 100 g-1 in summer pruning, 50.86 mg 100 g-1 in not summer pruning and it was found that the results were significant statistically at the 1% level. These results demonstrate the importance of summer pruning to increase the Ca content of fruit.

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