Improving Fertilizer Use Efficiency And Fruit Quality Of Sweet Cherry In Shaanxi Province Via An Optimum Fertilization Management

Developing the industry of sweet cherry can promote the development of local agricultural economy.Nowadays,there are some problems in cherry orchards of Shaanxi province,such as improper fertilization ratio,blind fertilization,excessive fertilization and low fruit quality.Understanding the current soil fertility status of cherry orchards and factors that influencing cherry quality in Shaanxi province is important in fertilization management and fruit quality.Thus,we firstly investigated the current situation of cherry fertilization management and the spatial distribution of soil fertility in cherry orchards of Shaanxi province,at the same time,we investiaged the current situation and influencing factors of cherry fruit quality.On this basis,we put forward an optimum fertilization management for improving fruit quality and fertilizer use efficiency aiming at reducing fertilizer input in cherry orchards and improving the fruit quality of cherry.The main results are as follows:1.79.5% of the cherry orchards?soils in Shaanxi province was alkaline or strongly alkaline.Most(87.6%)of the cherry orchards? soils were short of organic matter.About 56.1% of the cherry orchards? soils had low total nitrogen content which was located in central and eastern Guanzhong of Shaanxi province.In general,the soils? available phosphorus and available potassium were abundant.Only 9.6% of cherry orchards? soils had low available phosphorus content which mainly including Chencang District and some areas of Xixiang County.2.About 70% of the cherry orchards in Shaanxi province had poor fruit quality.Soil pH negatively correlated with the pupl/core mass ratio of cherry,but no significant correlation was found between other soil nutrient concentrations and fruit quality parameters of cherry.There was a significant positive correlation between fruit weight and leaf area.There was a significant negative correlation between soluble solids concentration and leaf?s nitrogen concentration.There was a significant negative correlation between pulp/core mass ratio and leaf area,the concentration of molybdenum and copper in leaf.There was a significant negative correlation between fruit weight and the concentration of calcium and molybdenym in fruit.There was a significant negative correlation between soluble solids concentration and the concentration of nitrogen,phosphorus,potassium,boron in fruit.There was a significant positive correlation between pulp/core mass ratio and the concentration of potassium in fruit.There was a significant negative correlation between pulp/core mass ratio and the concentration of zinc and molybdenum in fruit.The frequency of fertilization in cherry orchards in Shaanxi province was 2~3 times per year.The fruit weight and transverse diameter of sweet cherry negatively correlated with the amount of nitrogen applied in orchards.There was a significant correlation between fruit weight,transverse diameter of sweet cherry and the frequency of fertilization in orchards.3.In the two-year experiment,there was no significant difference in cherry yield between the optimum fertilization management and the farmer?s fertilization management.Fruit weight,transverse diameter,vertical diameter,soluble solids concentration and titratable acid quality were improved by the optimum fertilization management,however,the effects varied among different cherry varieties.The optimum fertilization management can reduce the input of nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium in orchards without reducing the soil fertility significantly.In general,phosphorus and potassium in the soils of cherry orchards in Shaanxi province were abundant,but there was a shortage of soil organic matter.Soil nutrients were not the major factors affecting the quality of cherry because overusing of fertilizers.There was no positive correlation between the quality of cherry and most mineral nutrients in leave or fruit.Fruit quality and fertilizer use efficiency were improved,and the input of fertilizer was reduced by optimum fertilization amount,fertilization date and fertilizer proportion.