ISHS Acta Horticulturae 92: Symposium on Mineral Nutrition and Fruit Quality of Temperate Zone Fruit Trees
AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO ORCHARD NUTRITION AND BITTER PIT CONTROL |
| Authors: | J.H. TERBLANCHE, K.H. GÜRGEN, I. HESEBECK |
| Abstract:
The discovery that bitter pit development in apples is associated with low fruit calcium levels (De Long, 1937) was followed by intensive investigation of the effect of nutrition on the incidence of this disorder. Numerous publications showed that nutrients other than calcium were also involved in bitter pit incidence, and pomological factors either related or unrelated to nutritional factors were also found to play a significant part. Although the mechanism of bitter pit development has not yet been explained, the relationships between its incidence and a number of nutritional factors have already been quantified. Available evidence indicates that orchard nutrition is the most important scientifically based tool by which the incidence of bitter pit can be manipulated. In this paper, the nutritional factors shown to be of importance under South African conditions are outlined, and their relationship to elimination of bitter pit discussed. | |
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