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Utilizing of Natural Resources from Romanian Plain for Promoting Apple Organic CultureBotu, I., Achim, G., and Botu, M. Eighty percent of apple culture in Romania is located in the sub Carpathian hill area. During the last decade, when important changes have been taking place in land property structure, the tendency to extend apple culture into the plain area are emphasized. Apple orchards are generally of the conventional type, with densities up to 2000 trees/ha. The orientation to organic culture opened the possibility to extend organic apple culture into the plain area which has superior natural resources relative to the hill area. Water is the only deficit in the plain with an annual rainfall of 450-550 mm making irrigation a requirement. The superior quality of soils (cernoziom and brown types, etc.), the lack of specific pathogens on related species and in the soil and short distances to the main markets, etc., are all favorable reasons to develop the area for organic culture of apple. The orchards established in Bucuresti, Fundulea and Calafat areas using ‘Florina’, ‘Generos’, ‘Idared’ cultivars grafted on M9, with organic fertilization (30 t/ha manure) and trees trained as Slender Spindle achieved similar growing and fruit bearing as those of the super-intensive orchards. Starting at the third year after planting, yields over 12 t/ha were recorded in organic apple culture. The fruits obtained were uniformly large in size, with no pest or disease damage. Spraying was carried out using copper sulfate. Due to the fact that consumers are not yet accustomed to organic products, the selling prices of fruits were only 5 to 10% superior to fruits obtained from conventional apple orchards. The natural resources from Romanian Plain and the increasing tendency for organic fruits are promoting the growers in the area to use organic system for apple growing.
Presentation given at the Symposium (PDF)
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