Effect of growth regulators on the crop load management, yield and quality of fruits of Cv Gala Delicious

Abstract

The study was conducted in the period 2016-2018 in the central area of the Republic of Moldova with the purpose to assess the effect of various crop load management practices on the Cv Gala Delicious, grafted on the rootstock M9, in an intensive system. The trees aged 8-10 years were trained according to improved slender spindle shape and planted at a distance of 3.5 x 1 m. The experiment was organized in 4 repetitions, the spraying was performed on 8 trees in each repetition, using 11 l of solution on 32 trees or 1000 l per hectare, respectively. The used growth regulators ensured a significant increase in the average weight of a fruit (135.4-144.4 g) and a significant increase in the diameter of fruits (over 85% of fruits have been classified in the category I and extra category), but significantly reduced the number of fruits per tree.