THE INFLUENCE OF FOLIAR FERTILIZATION UPON GROWING AT FIVE APPLE VARIETIES FORM E.U. IN SUPERINTENSIVE CULTURE

Abstract

SUMMARY In order to reveal the behavior during production p rocess of several apple varieties over Cluj-Napoca tree-growing area, there has been organ ized a competition culture including five varieties of apple. Trees were planted in autumn 20 05, at 3,5/0,9 m distance from one another, thus reaching a thickness of 3174 per ha. The fertilizers utilized in the experience were : F erticare 1, Ferticare 2, Ferticare 3, Ferticare Starter and Power in different concentrat ion amounts. Several aspects regarding trees-size and girth, phe nology of flowering, yielding potential, fruit quality from the point of view of taste and chemical compositions (dry matter and sugar contents, acidity); then, feeding value a nd disease hardiness were taken under study. Apples are very appreciated for their flavor and nu tritional value being used all over the year in the human diet. They are rich in carbohydra tes (glucose, fructose, pectic substances, cellulose, hemicellulose). The organic acids (citri c, malic, succinic, oxalic) are the most important components of the flavor of apples and th ey represent 0.3-0.5 %. The most important vitamins in the apple fruit are: vitamin C (ascorbic acid, around 35 mg/100 g), provitamin A, B etc.