성목기 ‘감홍’/M.9 사과나무의 착과수준이 고두증상 및 과실품질에 미치는 영향

BACKGROUND: The 'Gamhong' cultivar, middle season apple with big fruit size and high soluble solid content, has been bred in Korea. However, it was hard to cultivate the cultivar in Korea by serious bitter pit. The relationships between shoot growth, fruit size, and bitter pit may be affected by crop load. This study was conducted for 2 years (7~8 years after planting) to investigate vegetative growth, fruit quality, bitter pit incidence, return bloom, and gross income for optimum crop load of 'Gamhong'/M.9 adult apple tree. METHODS AND RESULTS: The crop load was assigned to 4 different object ranges as follow: 45~64, 65~84, 85~104, and 105~124 fruits per tree. The vegetative growth, average fruit weight, percentage of fruits heavier than 375 g, soluble solid content, and return bloom increased significantly at the crop load range of 45~64 fruits. However, the lowest total gross income per tree may have been caused by the highest bitter pit incidence and the lowest yield per tree in any other crop load range. The total gross income and yield per tree increased significantly at the crop load range of 105~124 fruits and return bloom dropped to 40%, and hence it was possible to occur biennial bearing. It was 85~104 fruits that biennial bearing did not occur and total gross income was as high as the crop load range of 105~124 fruits. Also, the yield of high grade fruits per tree, with fruit weight of 400~499 g and none bitter pit on fruit surface, was highest at the crop load range of 85~104 fruits, compared to other crop load range. CONCLUSION: In considering fruit size, bitter pit incidence, return bloom, and gross income, the optimum crop load range of 'Gamhong'/M.9 adult apple tree in high density orchard was 85~104 fruits per tree.