How to increase apple firmness
Nutrition can influence apple firmness. Nitrogen, potassium and calcium are the most important nutrients.
Nitrogen excess can reduce apple firmness
Over-use or late applications of nitrogen reduces apple firmness, potentially resulting in more damage in transit and storage, and a reduced shelf life.
Phosphorus can improve long term storage
Phosphorus sprays applied six weeks post petal fall can be used to increase fruit firmness improving long-term storage potential at the same time.
Calcium has a major role in producing firm fruit
Calcium has a major role to play in maximizing apple quality by providing firm fruit. Cell wall integrity and cell-to-cell adhesion is improved, resulting in a tougher flesh that is less prone to bruising or tissue breakdown.
Soil applied calcium nitrate is very effective in improving fruit firmness. When using foliar applications, the more sprays the better, provided that products such as calcium nitrate don’t deliver too much nitrogen, creating nutrient imbalances and loss in quality.
Trials suggest that for firmness, the critical value of calcium in apple at harvest is higher than the 5mg/100g fresh weight recommended for minimizing bitter pit.
Recommended fertilisers for apples
Related articles
How to increase apple weight
Crop nutrition plays an important role on increasing apple weight. Apple weight is an important element for increasing yields. Provided that a desired quality is maintained, the aim of growers is to produce heavier fruits.
How to reduce bitter pit in apples
A balanced crop nutrition is essential for the management of bitter pit. Bitter pit is a physiological disorder associated with low levels of calcium in the apple tissue, which reduces apple quality and marketability.
How to minimise apple internal breakdown
A good crop nutrition can help to minimize internal breakdown incidence in apples. It can be associated with intense water core disorder, cold storage, and boron and phosphorus deficiencies.
Apple nutrient requirements
Apple nutrient requirements vary depending on the crop growth stage. Find out which nutrients are most important at different growth stages.
Identify and diagnose apple nutrient deficiencies
Identify and diagnose if your apple trees are suffering from nutrient deficiencies and learn more about the symptoms and causes and how to control or correct the deficiency
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