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Copy link Nova HiPeak Apple Trial in Michigan
30
Kent City, Michigan, USA 2022
30
Key Conclusions
Foliar nutrition is an important tool for increasing apple yield and can increase individual fruit size by nearly 30%. Nova HiPeak at a rate of approximately 2 pounds per acre can be used as an alternative to other common water-soluble fertilizer products. There is potential for greater responses to be achieved by increasing Nova HiPeak rate, but this should follow local recommendations based on economic and agronomic considerations.
Objective
The purpose of this study was to study foliar application of Nova HiPeak™, a P and K containing water soluble fertilizer, for improving apple yield. An additional objective was to determine the rate effect of Nova HiPeak compared to a grower standard product and application rate.
Trial Details
Trial station
Kent City, Michigan, USA
Assessments
Fruit size and yield per acre
Treatments
All treatments received a grower standard dry granular N-P-K blend in the spring as well as cover sprays of insecticides, fungicides, and growth regulators according to local recommendations.
- Nova HiPeak (0-44-44) was applied at two rates (1.875 or 7.7 lbs/acre).
- These treatments were compared to an untreated control as well as a grower standard practice of a 0-50-33 water soluble fertilizer applied at 2.5 lbs/acre
The three treatments that received a foliar fertilizer (0-50-33, low-rate HiPeak, and high-rate HiPeak) were applied six times to coincide with scheduled cover sprays. Each treatment was replicated four times and there were 10 harvested trees within each treatment replicate.
- In total, the 0-50-33 treatment received a cumulative total of 7.8 lbs P2O5 and 4.95 lbs K2O
- The low-rate treatment of Nova HiPeak received 4.95 cumulative pounds of each nutrient
- The high-rate treatment of Nova HiPeak received 20.4 cumulative pounds of each nutrient per acre.
Treatments
All treatments received a grower standard dry granular N-P-K blend in the spring as well as cover sprays of insecticides, fungicides, and growth regulators according to local recommendations.
- Nova HiPeak (0-44-44) was applied at two rates (1.875 or 7.7 lbs/acre).
- These treatments were compared to an untreated control as well as a grower standard practice of a 0-50-33 water soluble fertilizer applied at 2.5 lbs/acre
The three treatments that received a foliar fertilizer (0-50-33, low-rate HiPeak, and high-rate HiPeak) were applied six times to coincide with scheduled cover sprays. Each treatment was replicated four times and there were 10 harvested trees within each treatment replicate.
- In total, the 0-50-33 treatment received a cumulative total of 7.8 lbs P2O5 and 4.95 lbs K2O
- The low-rate treatment of Nova HiPeak received 4.95 cumulative pounds of each nutrient
- The high-rate treatment of Nova HiPeak received 20.4 cumulative pounds of each nutrient per acre.
Results
- All foliar P and K treatments significantly increased average individual fruit weight and yield equivalent per acre compared to the untreated control
- On average, foliar nutrition increased individual fruit weight by nearly 30% compared to the untreated control, or an equivalent yield per acre increase of approximately 343 bushels per acre
- The high-rate treatment of HiPeak trended higher in yield compared to both 0-50-33 and the low-rate HiPeak treatment.
- There was no effect of treatment on fruit number per tree. Averaged across the four treatments, there were approximately 110 fruit harvested from each tree
- Applied at equivalent amounts of cumulative potassium, 0-50-33 and Nova HiPeak 0-44-44 performed similarly.
- The influence of foliar K was likely greater on fruit sizing than foliar P.
