Analysis of the causes of low fruit set rate in apricot trees and solutions

The apricot tree is a deciduous tree with strong adaptability, cold resistance and drought tolerance. Its fruit is one of the common fruits, sweet and juicy, rich in nutrition and full of sugars, proteins, calcium and phosphorus substances, and it is an important economic fruit tree in China. However, many fruit growers often get a low fruit set rate when growing them. What is going on here? How can the fruit set rate of apricot trees be improved? Let's take a look together.

I. Causes of low fruit set rate

1. Variety: There are extremely many varieties of apricot trees, and some varieties have a low fruit-setting rate themselves, such as Tianzhen apricot, Maihuang apricot, Hongyu apricot and others. These varieties have more abortive flowers, so they lead to a low fruit set rate. Introduced varieties such as Jintaiyang apricot, Kate apricot and Italiano No. 1 have a higher fruit-setting rate and also strong cold resistance.

2. Unsuitable environment: During planting, the environmental conditions do not suit the growth and development of apricot trees. If low-temperature weather occurs during the flowering and fruiting period, the flowers and fruits will freeze and stop growing, and in severe cases they will simply drop off. In particular, orchards planted in valleys and low-lying land are highly prone to frost damage, which leads to flower and fruit drop.

3. Improper cultivation: Because of improper management, extensive and rough care, the tree vigor weakens, nutrition is insufficient, and there are more abortive flowers, causing the plants to lack nutrients and drop flowers and fruits. In addition, excessive pruning, one-sided application of nitrogen fertilizer and too frequent watering will all cause the plants to grow excessively, seizing a large amount of nutrients and causing insufficient nutrient supply to the flowers and fruits, leading to flower and fruit drop and a low fruit set rate.

II. Methods to improve the fruit set rate

1. Site selection: Choose a plot with high and flat terrain, deep soil layers, loose and fertile soil, good drainage and shelter from the wind and facing the sun for planting, so that cold air accumulation can be avoided and frost damage to flowers and fruits can be prevented.

2. Seed selection: Choose varieties with a high proportion of complete flowers, a high self-fruit-setting rate and strong cold resistance. If it is an apricot orchard located in an area with late frost, such varieties should especially be chosen.

3. Cold protection: Do a good job of cold protection measures. By delaying the flowering period, the flowering period can avoid the late frost, so as to prevent flower and fruit drop. In early spring, watering and covering with straw can be used to thaw the ground, speed up the rise of ground temperature and promote the growth of apricot trees. The tree body can also be whitewashed to resist severe cold.

4. Artificial supplementary pollination: When natural pollination results are poor, artificial supplementary pollination can be used, and this is the best way to increase the fruit set rate of apricot trees. Collect the anthers of suitable varieties and place them in an environment at room temperature of 26 degrees to let them shed pollen as quickly as possible. Collect the pollen and use the spot pollination method to make the female flowers successfully fertilized. The time for fertilization is 1 to 2 days after a single flower opens.

5. Spraying hormones and fertilizer: During the full flowering period, Aiduoshuo liquid can be sprayed. For fertilizer spraying, mainly borax solution is sprayed. Improving the spraying method can increase the utilization rate of the pesticide and fertilizer, enable the plants to absorb them faster and improve the fruit set rate.

The above are the causes of low fruit set rate in apricot trees and the countermeasures. I hope it can help you. If you want to learn more about fruit tree planting knowledge, please follow us.