Latest Causes and Prevention Methods of Apple Water Core Cracking

Everyone is familiar with apples, and perhaps many friends have grown tired of eating them, but the economic value and nutritional value of apples themselves cannot be denied. Apples have a very long history of cultivation in China, and a very mature set of cultivation techniques has already been developed. However, problems are inevitably encountered during cultivation, and water core cracking is one of them. Water-soaked cracks appear on the surface of apples. They do not affect the taste, but they do affect their appearance and reduce their commercial value. So what are the causes? Let's take a look!

1. Genes

Cause: Improper selection of varieties. The genes of many varieties contain the trait of water core cracking, and when selecting seeds, varieties with the water core cracking trait were chosen.

Prevention: When selecting seeds, avoid varieties susceptible to water core cracking. Varieties with water core cracking, such as Fuji and Guoguang, should be avoided. After selecting the seeds, disinfect them before sowing.

2. Weather

Cause: Sudden changes in weather are very harmful to fruit trees. For example, heavy irrigation of the soil during continuous high temperatures prevents the fruit trees from adapting in time, leading to water core cracking.

Prevention: Take countermeasures for all sudden weather changes, pay timely attention to weather changes, and prepare in advance before the weather changes, such as preparing cooling and windproof facilities.

3. Soil

Cause: Excessive changes in soil moisture and improper management. For example, under ordinary weather conditions, after continuous water shortage, sudden heavy rain or uncontrolled artificial irrigation causes apples to fail to adapt in time. Or the soil's water retention is not strong, causing a large amount of water loss, and it is also very prone to waterlogging, which is extremely harmful to the growth of fruit trees and leads to water core cracking.

Prevention: Maintain the soil's dryness and moisture, and it should not alternate between sudden wetness and dryness. Water promptly during drought and drain promptly after heavy rain, and actively handle all sudden situations. For soil with weak water retention, find ways to enhance it, promote soil moisture conditions, and reduce the incidence of water core cracking.

4. Fertilization

Cause: Incorrect fertilization methods, or the wrong fertilizer. Long-term application of a single fertilizer or excessive application obstructs and imbalances the nutrient absorption of fruit trees. It also reduces the resistance of fruit trees. In particular, incompletely decomposed farmyard manure causes great harm to fruit growth.

Prevention: The nutrient composition of fertilizers needs to be prepared evenly. A single fertilizer should not be applied alone, especially nitrogen fertilizer. Applying nitrogen fertilizer alone causes excessive vegetative growth of branches, insufficient nutrients in the fruit, and the formation of water core cracking. The amount of fertilizer applied should not be too much; it is suitable as long as it meets development needs.

5. Fruit bags

Cause: Bagging work is carried out when young fruits appear. To save money, some growers use fruit bags of extremely poor quality, so the fruit cannot drain water in time, or rain cannot be effectively prevented, and the fruit is soaked in water for a long time, resulting in water core cracking.

Prevention: Do not use low-quality fruit bags just to save a few yuan. Fruit bags with strong water drainage and waterproof properties should be selected for bagging.

6. Light

Cause: Failure to prune fruit trees in time or unreasonable pruning work keeps the orchard growing in a shaded, lightless environment for a long time, with extremely poor ventilation and light transmission, causing poor development of the fruit peel. Or after bag removal, the fruit receives uneven light, leading to the occurrence of water core cracking.

Prevention: Do a good job of orchard pruning, master correct pruning methods, strengthen ventilation and light transmission in the orchard, and also plant at a reasonable density before planting. After bag removal, allow the fruit to receive even light.

The above is a brief introduction to why apples develop water core cracking and its prevention methods. It should also be noted that after bag removal, try as much as possible not to let the fruit come into contact with water. It may also be caused by the fruit tree being too old and its fruiting ability weakening. In short, most of the causes are due to management, so everyone must strengthen orchard management to effectively reduce the incidence of water core cracking.