Apple trees plantation structure

Abstract

Within high density plantings were studied the main factors of the growing, photosynthetic activity and the arrangement of the foliage. We established the dependency between the potential of the planting productivity and the parameters of the crown in specific ecological conditions. For modern high density orchards the most efficient parameters of the foliage area, as a photosynthesis system, are: the height of the foliage area between 2.3 – 3.5 m; the width at the basis of the crown 1.5 – 2.5 m with gradual decrease to top to 0.8 – 1.2 m; the inclination angle of the lateral plane of the row 12 - 13° ; the angle which unites the tops and the bases of the crown of nearby rows is equal with the latitude of the locality. With such parameters of the foliage area the utilisation of the surface under the crown projections, as index of possible capture of solar radiation, achieves 52 - 60 %, the lateral surface of the crowns, which captures the direct and dispersal radiation 17200 – 19800 m2/hectare, the volume of the active foliage area 12200 – 18100 m3/hectare.