FEATURES OF THE COMMERCIAL APRICOT ORCHARDS IN HUNGARY ON THE EVIDENCE OF A FULL-SCALE SURVEY

According to the survey's data 45% of the trees are of "Magyar kajszi" cultivar, 24% "Rózsa kajszi", and 14% pertaining to the group of "Giant" varieties.

Two thirds of the trees had been trained to the pyramid form, while those planted from the seventies are mainly open-center system.

The orchards are generally defective, the ratio of missing trees being about 20% in the younger plantations (10–15 year old) and nearly 50% in the older ones.

Apricot is the only fruit crop in Hungary of which about half has been planted on poor, sandy, flat lands. Due to the unfavourable site and being inadequately handled a high ratio of the orchards is in poor condition, which results in untimely early culling. Till 1990 70% of the presently existing commercial apricot orchards is expected to be culled, partially for feasibility reasons, and some 1000 hectares are likely to be established for supplanting the 4800 hectares surface of culled orchards.

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