IMPACT OF A SUPERABSORBENT GEL AND ORGANIC-MINERAL FERTILIZER ON GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF SWEET CHERRY TREES

A trial was carried out over 6 years with sweet cherry cultivar ‘Burlat/ P-HLA’. In the autumn of 2003 three-year-old sweet cherry trees were planted under field conditions. Prior to tree planting, superabsorbent STOCKOSORB AGRO and/or the organic-mineral fertilizer BIOTOP (manufactured of municipal sediment residues) were separately or simultaneously applied into the planting pits. The treatment doses of STOCKOSORB AGRO and BIOTOP were; BIOTOP 1 kg, STOCKOSORB AGRO 160 g, BIOTOP 1 kg + STOCKOSORB AGRO 160 g. There was also an untreated control. The effects of the treatments on growth of trees, yield and fruit quality was evaluated.
Biometrical measurements and evaluations indicated both BIOTOP and STOCKOSORB AGRO had positive effects but the most benefits were obtained with the combined application of BIOTOP + STOCKOSORB AGRO. This resulted in a yield increase from 3.2 to 11.6 kg/tree in 2009 associated with a doubling of trunk cross sectional areas and small non-significant increases in Brix and 100 fruit weights.