APRICOT RESPONSE TO RADICULAR AND FOLIAR APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS UNDER DOBROGEA CONDITIONS

Drought and heat stress are significant factors limiting fruit crop yield in arid conditions. Foliar fertilization is a common practice of supplying fruit crop production with mineral nutrients, especially under limited soil nutrient availability conditions. Nutrient management is a determining element of the technology in fruit quality. In this study we aimed to evaluate the impact of a the radicular (NPK+S) and foliar (Cropmax) fertilizer on fruit quality parameters in an apricot orchard during 2019-2021 period. According to our results, the weight of the fruits increased by 30% in the b1 treatment (radicular fertilizer with NPK+S) and 34% in the b2 treatment (radicular and foliar fertilizer with Cropmax) at Olimp cultivar and by 40% in the b1 treatment and 53% in the b2 treatment at Goldrich cultivar in the three years of study compared to the control treatment. In conclusion, the fruit quality can be improved in apricot orchard using of the radicular and foliar fertilizer.