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Pome fruits

Pome fruits are members of the plant family Rosaceae, sub-family pomoideae. Apples, pears, nashi and quince are pome fruits, grown from spring blossom and harvested from late summer through to late autumn. Trees are deciduous and have a dormant winter period that requires cold temperatures for the tree to properly break dormancy in spring.

Specific considerations for pome fruit

The key to a successful fertiliser program lies in ensuring nutritional balance. The more common issues relate to either an over or under supply of nitrogen fertiliser, or potential trace element shortages, particularly Zinc or Boron.

Building soil nutrient reserves during dormancy, followed with fertigated nitrogen and macro and micronutrients to meet peak load or identified deficiencies, is recommended. Use of soil and foliar biostimulants will aid nitrogen fixing, nutrient cycling, and uptake and improve soils structure and water holding and supply, increasing tolerance to abiotic stresses such as heat.

The BioAg approach

BioAg nutrition programs are incorporated into a growers current nutrition program. Our objective is to make fertiliser and other inputs work better and build and support healthy and balanced soils and plants. Programs are custom-made for each block, using advanced soil and tissue analysis. These integrated programs typically incorporate a range of BioAg solid and liquid nutrients, often associated with conventional inputs. BioAg fertility programs can be developed to meet organic certification requirements.

Soil test

An experienced and Fertcare accredited BioAg agronomist works with you and provides technical expertise on your crop. If you don’t already have recent soil test data, we arrange a soil test for you. The results provide essential information about the soil fertility and soil structure for better performance. Download the BioAg soil sampling procedure here.

A tailored program

Based on the results of soil tests, crop requirements and other factors such as soil structure, climate, history of the block, and targets that you are trying to achieve, we provide a tailored program that aims to improve soil fertility and maximise yield response. We support you through the program to ensure that inputs are applied at the right time, in the right way.

Leaf and tissue testing

Any nutritional program cannot foresee the changes in weather, disease, or pests, that may impact a crop. During the season, growers may observe issues or evidence of stress in their crop. This may be due to greater growth or yields than planned, a trace element shortage or abiotic stresses. An on-farm inspection and associated leaf or tissue tests will promptly identify any issues, which can quickly be addressed by applying the appropriate inputs. Download the BioAg leaf sampling procedure here.

High yielding crops require fertile balanced soils

Key to highly productive crops is the function of soils. Soil structure, chemistry and biology are critical in supporting crops throughout the growing season. By improving all aspects of the soil, crops will benefit from improved access to moisture, due to improved infiltration and water holding capacity, improved access to nutrition through improved nutrient cycling, fixation (for N) and a reduction in loss pathways, improved resilience to abiotic stresses and disease, improved root growth providing access to additional moisture and nutrients as well as improved carbon sequestration and a range of other benefits (click for more on soil health).

Beneficial microorganisms stimulate the plant’s root growth and help protect it from abiotic stresses. This is made possible through mutually beneficial relationships that microbes develop with plants, for example mycorrhizal associations. BioAg products programs supply essential macronutrients (N, P, K, S, Ca), trace elements (B, Zn, Cu etc.), microbial food and metabolites beneficial microorganisms that colonise root systems, improving soil function, plant health and productivity.

Several almonds lay on a flat surface

Pome fruits– key features of a BioAg program

The following table illustrates the cropping process and potential solutions depending on soil test results and other contributing factors. Call your BioAg Area Manager to discuss your individual needs.

Objective
Activity
BioAg Product
Post harvest
Support tree recovery and monitor soils.
Apply NPK and Ca with biostimulants to enhance nutrient supply from soils. Perform soil tests.
Soil & Seed®: 3 – 5L/ha
Dormancy
Build soil nutrition and structure for the coming season and support early growth with appropriate levels of P and Ca.
Apply ameliorates, solid fertilisers and required micronutrients into vine rows.
BioAgPhos®: 100 – 250kg/ha
Dormancy
Build soil nutrition and structure for the coming season and support early growth with appropriate levels of P and Ca.
Apply ameliorates, solid fertilisers and required micronutrients into vine rows.
or BioAgSoP®: 100 – 300kg/ha
Dormancy
Build soil nutrition and structure for the coming season and support early growth with appropriate levels of P and Ca.
Apply ameliorates, solid fertilisers and required micronutrients into vine rows.
or PotPhos with SoP®: 100 – 300kg/ha
Green tip
Improve delivery of nutrients from soil to trees.
Apply biostimulants to soils.
HydraHume®: 10 – 20L/ha
Tight cluster to pink bud
Stimulate root activity and improve nutrient uptake from soils.
Apply biostimulants to soils.
Soil & Seed®: 8 – 10L/ha
Tight cluster to pink bud
Stimulate canopy growth and early leaves resilience to frost.
Apply foliar biostimulant.
HydraSea 50®: 0.5 – 1L/ha combine with required traces
End of bloom / petal fall
Address nutrition deficiencies, use tissue test to identify issues.
Supply important micronutrients, vitamins and minerals through foliars combined with a chelator and growth stimulant to enhance uptake.
NPK & Ca
End of bloom / petal fall
Enhance nutrient uptake from the soil.
Apply biostimulants to soils.
Soil & Seed®: 2 – 4L/ha
Fruit set
Enhance fruit set.
Supply important micronutrients, vitamins and minerals through foliars combined with a chelator and growth stimulant to enhance uptake.
Balance & Grow® with foliar trace elements: 2 – 4L/ha
Early fruit growth
Enhance nutrient uptake from the soil.
Apply biostimulants to soils.
Soil & Seed®: 2 – 4L/ha
Early fruit growth
Provide resilience to stresses.
Apply foliar biostimulant.
HydraSea 50®: 0.5 – 1L/ha
Early fruit growth
Apply required nutrient through foliar applications.
Supply important micronutrients, vitamins and minerals through foliars combined with a chelator and growth stimulant to enhance uptake.
Balance & Grow® with foliar trace elements: 2 – 4L/ha
Mid fruit growth
Improve fruit growth.
Apply necessary nutrition with a biochelator and enhancer of sugar assimilation.
Fruit & Balance® Combined with Ca and micronutirents: 2 – 4L/ha
Fruit maturation
Provide nutrition to enhance fruit ripening.
Apply necessary nutrition with a biochelator and enhnacer of sugar assimilation.
Fruit & Balance® Combined with K fertiliser: 2 – 4L/ha

Pome fruit resources

  • Leaf and tissue testing

    Your BioAg Area Manager may recommend a leaf or tissue test in addition to a soil test. In some cases, your BioAg Area Manager will do the leaf or tissue testing with you or for you. Use this procedure if you are doing the sampling without a BioAg expert present.

    Read more
  • Regenerative agriculture

    The term regenerative agriculture has become aligned, or associated hand in hand, with the improvement of soils, improved soil fertility, and the benefits this provides to farms and rural communities. The approach typically promoted is a holistic one, taking into accoun...

    Read more
  • UK apple independent trial update

    Results from the trial work at Boxford continue to impress with BioAg Soil and Seed consistently outperforming control treatments. Soil & Seed is a biological soil inoculant, which contains primarily fungal based microbes. Total microbial content has been consistently h...

    Read more
  • UK apple independent trial

    Soil & Seed is formulated to improve soil microbial activity which is a key component of soil fertility and the ability of soil to supply available nutrients to plants. Its principal features are: balanced food supply for soil microbes, stimulates soil microbial populat...

    Read more

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