What are the key technical points for managing apricot trees during the flowering period?
How should apricot trees be managed during the flowering period? Please give guidance. Apricot trees bud and bloom earlier than other stone fruit trees, second only to the wild peach. In North China, apricot trees generally bloom from late March to mid-April, and the flowering time varies depending on the cultivar and environmental conditions. Preventing late frost: apricot trees bloom relatively early and are susceptible to early spring frost damage...
How should apricot trees be managed during the flowering period? Please give guidance
Apricot trees bud and bloom earlier than other stone fruit trees, second only to the wild peach. In North China, apricot trees generally bloom from late March to mid-April, and the flowering time varies depending on the cultivar and environmental conditions. Preventing late frost: apricot trees bloom relatively early and are susceptible to early spring frost damage. After the flower organs are frozen, they become water-soaked, and the petals discolor and fall off. When frost is forecast, smoke can be used to protect apricot blossoms in orchards that are prone to late frost damage around the flowering period. Spraying maleic hydrazide (MH) during the flower bud swelling stage, and spraying the whole tree with 1% lime water in early spring can delay the flowering period by 5-7 days to avoid the late frost period. Reducing abortive flowers: one month before flowering, spray the canopy twice at 10-day intervals with 1% urea or 20 mg/kg gibberellin, which can make up for insufficient tree nutrition and reduce the rate of abortive flowers. Spraying 0.2% borax and 0.2% urea 1-3 times during the flowering period, and placing bees or performing artificial pollination 2-3 times during the flowering period, both help increase the fruit-setting rate. Disease and pest control: 1) Before flowering, control gummosis by applying 5-degree lime sulfur mixture or 30 times crystalline lime sulfur to the wounded areas. 2) Before flowering, spray phoxim under the tree canopy. For each mu, use 1 kg phoxim mixed with 200 kg water and rake the pesticide into the soil to control the apricot seed wasp. 3) For the control of pests such as the green peach aphid and mealy peach aphid, apply pesticide to the trunk during the flowering period. Generally, apply a pesticide paste made of 2-5 times monocrotophos and cellulose, and wrap it with plastic film. After flowering, spray 10% imidacloprid 2000 times solution to control red spiders, apricot armored scale, apricot tiger moth, apricot blotch moth, and others. 4) After flowering, spray 70% thiophanate-methyl or 50% carbendazim 800 times solution to control apricot scab. 5) After flowering, spray 25% diflubenzuron 1500 times solution to control leafminers and tortrix moths. 6) From late April to early May, use a brush to kill the overwintering larvae of the overwintering globular scale insects.
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