Fertigation with organic N-fertilizers in Swedish apple production
Last changed: 25 October 2023
The aim of the project is to evaluate and develop the use of organic fertigation in Swedish apple production. The project will focus on yield, external (colour, firmness, appearance) and internal (concentration of sugar and organic acids) quality and fruit tolerance against fungal diseases during storage. There will be a trial in both an organic and an IP orchard in order to evaluate the organic N fertilizers at different pest management strategies. Nitrogen mineralization, pH and conductivity, as well as leaf analysis will be measured periodically during the growing season. To be able to see the impact of the organic N-fertilizers on growth, we will measure stem growth, branch growth and fruit yield. The content of nutrients in fruit will be analyzed at harvest and both fruit quality and fungal diseases will be analyzed at harvest and after storage. The project is a collaboration between SLU, Äppelriket and Kiviks Musteri, and will provide a great platform for knowledge exchange.
Funding: SLF, Partnerskap Alnarp, Äppelriket
Contact: Helene Larsson Jönsson Helene.Larsson.Jonsson@slu.se, Helena Persson Hovmalm Helena.Persson@slu.se, Ibrahim Tahir Ibrahim.Tahir@slu.se