ChileanJAR

Four application times of sodium nitrate to the soil were compared during three years in adult Granny Smith apple trees: late summer, winter, spring, and late summerlspring split application. No significant differences were found among the treatments in nitrogen concentrations in the flowers or leaves. Neither were there differences in total growth of trees, fruit yield or individual fruit weight. Control trees, with no nitrogen application, showed a significantly lower concentration of this element in flowers and leaves. The number of fruits produced by these trees was generally smaller, but the individual weight of their fruits was usually greater, which resulted in lack of significant difference in yield with respect to the trees treated at any of the application times.