Analysis of the yield of selected apple varieties in the first years after the planting the orchard

Analysis of the yield of selected apple varieties in the first years after the planting the orchard. The aim of the paperwork was to analyze the impact of innovative apple orchard cultivation on the yield of selected apple varietes: Galaval, Buckeye Gala, Golden Reinders, Grani and Fuji. The research ware conducted on orchard located in Gutowo Małe, Września county, in the Wielkopolskie province. The orchard was established in May 2016. The area of orchard is 4.0 ha and there are 7,600 annual and biennial apple seedlings. The analyzed apple varieties are used in foreign orchards. Cutting and forming trees is done in a different way, from the way it was done in traditional orchards. The purpose of this is to achieve better conditions of sunlight, which significantly affect the color of the fruit. Good coloring of fruit is one of the factors determining the profitability of crop. The aim of the study is to assess, the quality and quantity of yield of apple varieties, which have not been grown in Poland yet. The first harvest was recorded in 2017. The early cultivation period was characterized by the lack of irrigation. Atmospheric conditions of the studied area had a significant effect on the yield of apple trees. The considered year 2017 was defined as wet with a precipitation of 659 mm higher by 77 mm than the average over multiannual (2007-2017), while the temperature was higher by 0.4°C than the average over the period from 2007 to 2017. During the growing season, the sum of precipitation was 346 mm and slightly exceeded the long-term average. After the analysis of the harvest, it was found that the Fuji variety yielded best. Despite the dumping of more than half of the fruits from each tree, in order to improve their quality, the average yield was 15.0 t·ha -1 , in the first year of yielding.