THE USE OF GROWTH RETARDANTS IN VERY HIGH DENSITY PLANTINGS OF APPLE

Daminozide treatments were applied for five consecutive years to Golden Delicious apple trees on M.4 and MM.106 rootstocks and to Jonathan on M.4, both planted at a density of 2770 trees/ha. In the second year after planting daminozide was applied at 3000 ppm in early June, during the period of intensive shoot growth, but in the following years 2000 ppm daminozide was sprayed at petal-fall. In 1978 the trees were pulled out and their above-ground parts weighed.