Effects of Fall Applications of Urea in Order to Improve Fruit Sizes, Weight and Buds Cold Hardiness in Sweet Cherry

Abstract

The influence of treatments with urea, in quantity of 10 litres per hectare each time, on four cultivars of sweet cherry under the climatic conditions of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in 2010-2011, was studied. Measurements on length of shoots, leaf area, trunk cross sectional area, yield and fruits weight were made. There were no differences regarding fruit firmness compared to untreated control. Better results using two treatments with urea were obtained. Treatment with, urea in tree variants were made: V1 - control which has no treatment received with urea; V2 - in which one treatment of urea inquantity of 10 litres per hectare in the autumn after fruits harvest but before leaves fall; V3, received two sprinklings with urea in quantity of 10 litres per hectare; one of them in the autumn after fruit harvest but before leaves fall and the second in the spring. Measurements were made on length ofshoots, leaf area, trunk cross sectional area, yield and fruits weight. Both treatments with urea increased the length of shoots, leaf area, trunk cross sectional area, yield and fruits weight. The best results in case of V3 - one treatment with urea in quantity of 10 litres per hectare in the autumn after fruits harvest but before leaves fall plus the second one in the spring before buds burst were performed.