The objective of the research was to study the growth, development, and yield of apple in commercial orchards at different levels of soil moisture (drip irrigation rate 145, 120, 100, and 85 m³/ha), doses of mineral fertilizers (N60P50K50, N80P70K50, N100P90K50 kg/ha), and degree of one-year shoot pruning (¼, ⅓, ½ of length). Cost-effectiveness analysis for the growing of apple cultivar ‘Goldspur’ shows that the best drip irrigation rate was 100 m³/ha at the level of profitability 156.7 %. Net cost varied from 6.94 thousand rubles per ton of apple fruits at the control variant (120 m³/ha) to 5.45 thousand rubles per ton of apple fruits at the irrigation rate 100 m³/ha (decreased by 20 % against the control). Minimal level of profitability 106.4 % was observed at the growing of the apple cultivar ‘Goldspur’ without fertilizing. Maximum level of profitability (126.8 %) was obtained at the fertilizing dose N80P70K50 kg/ha. Further increasing of fertilizer dose resulted in the decreased rate of yield growth and level of profitability to 123.3 %. For the years of observation the highest averaged level of profitability for apple cultivar Goldspur’ 112.9 % was established at the variant with one-year shoot pruning at 1/3 of length. The best indicators of economic efficiency for weakly brunching apple cultivar ‘Golden Delicious’ was also obtained at the variant comprising one year shoot pruning at 1/3 of length (level of profitability was 139.2 %).
Keywords: apple-tree, drip irrigation, yield, processing methods, fertilizers.
