Effect of growth regulators on quality of apple tree maidens

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of growth regulators on the quality of maidens of apples tree cv. ‘Szampion Reno’ cultivated on M.9 and M.26 rootstocks in the conditions of the Lublin Upland. Growth regulators in the form of AGRIMIX PRO and ASAHI SL preparations were applied to 6 youngest well-developed side buds together with leaves just under the growth cone of the guide, every year when the apple-tree maidens reached 80 cm in height. The use of AGRIMIX PRO had a significant beneficial effect on the maiden trunks, their height and branching degree, i.e. the number of lateral shoots, the average length of one shoot and the sum of length and the diameter of the rootstocks trunks only in 2015. As the dose of AGRIMIX PRO was increased, the number and sum of the length of the syruptic shoots significantly increased. The opposite significant relationship was demonstrated in the case of the height of the examined trees. The addition of the ASAHI SL growth regulator had a significant impact on the diameter of the tree trunks, height, number, mean length and sum of side shoots of maidens of apple tree cv. ‘Szampion Reno’. The type of rootstock significantly influenced the level of all growth and quality parameters examined, and the trees on the more strongly growing M.26 rootstock were thicker, taller and better branched than those growing on M.9. Weather conditions prevailing during the study had a significant impact on the growth and branching degree of plants assessed. Significantly the best quality parameters were obtained in the first year of research, and significantly the weakest in 2015.

Keywords

• gibberellins
• shoots
• branching stimulation
• apical dominance