Yield and fruit quality of apple from conventional and organic production systems

Cassandro Vidal Talamini Do Amarante,Cristiano André Steffens,Jackson Adriano Albuquerque,Álvaro Luiz Mafra

doi:10.1590/s0100-204x2008000300007

Cassandro Vidal Talamini Do Amarante, Cristiano André Steffens + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s0100-204x2008000300007

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the yield and fruit quality of apple produced with a conventional and an organic production systems in Southern Brazil. The orchards consisted of alternate rows from 10 to 12-year old 'Royal Gala' and 'Fuji' apple trees on M.7 rootstocks, grown as slender spindles, on 4x6 m spacing. Eighteen apple trees of each cultivar and management system were randomly selected and assessed for nutrition, flowering, fruit set, yield, and fruit quality during two growing seasons (2002/2003 and 2003/2004). The organic management system resulted in lower concentrations of K, Mg, and N in leaves and fruits, and in smaller fruits for both cultivars, and lower fruit yield for 'Fuji' than from the conventional production system. For both cultivars, fruits from the organic orchard harvested at commercial maturity had a more yellowish skin background color, higher percentage of blush in the fruit skin, higher soluble solids content, higher density, higher flesh firmness, and higher severity of russet than fruits from the conventional orchard. Fruit from the organic orchard had lower titratable acidity in 'Royal Gala', and higher incidence of moldy core and lower incidence of watercore in 'Fuji', than fruit from the conventional orchard. A non-trained sensory panel detected no significant differences for fruit attributes of taste, flavor and texture between fruit from the production systems for either cultivar.

Highlights

The sustainability of conventional apple production systems have been brought into question by consumers increasingly demand for apples free of chemical residues, concerns about health risks to farm workers exposure to pesticides, escalating production costs, heavy reliance on non-renewable resources, reduced biodiversity within orchards, water contamination from orchard practices, and soil degradation (Reganold et al, 2001; Peck et al, 2006; Jönsson, 2007)
Organic management practices exclude the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, allowing the use of animal and green manures, compost, soluble rock powders, sulfur and copper compounds, fungicidal and insecticidal soaps, botanical insecticides, traps and other biological control methods (Holb et al, 2003; Peck et al, 2006; Jönsson, 2007)
It has been claimed that organic production systems are less efficient, pose greater health risks, and typically yield less than conventional or integrated systems (McArtney & Walker, 2004)

Summary

Introduction

The sustainability of conventional apple production systems have been brought into question by consumers increasingly demand for apples free of chemical residues, concerns about health risks to farm workers exposure to pesticides, escalating production costs, heavy reliance on non-renewable resources, reduced biodiversity within orchards, water contamination from orchard practices, and soil degradation (Reganold et al, 2001; Peck et al, 2006; Jönsson, 2007) These concerns have lead to a great deal of interest in organic and integrated apple. Lower and inconsistent yields of organic apple orchards are probably the result of unsatisfactory crop load management, higher pest and weed pressures, and nutrient deficiencies (Peck et al, 2005, 2006; Jönsson, 2007)

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