Optimizing Nursery Production of Apple Trees: Assessing the Dose Response to Water and Fertilizer in Two Cultivars

Venig, Adelina; Teușdea, Alin Cristian; Peticilă, Adrian

doi:10.3390/horticulturae11121425

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Optimizing Nursery Production of Apple Trees: Assessing the Dose Response to Water and Fertilizer in Two Cultivars

by

Adelina Venig

¹,

Alin Cristian Teușdea

^2,* and

Adrian Peticilă

^3,*

¹

Department of Agriculture-Horticulture, Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Magheru Street, 410048 Oradea, Romania

²

Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Magheru Street, 410048 Oradea, Romania

³

Department of Bioengineering of Horti-Viticultural Systems, Faculty of Horticulture, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, 59 Mărăști Boulevard, 011464 Bucharest, Romania

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Horticulturae 2025, 11(12), 1425; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11121425

Submission received: 4 November 2025 / Revised: 21 November 2025 / Accepted: 21 November 2025 / Published: 25 November 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Fertilization Management Consequences to Horticultural Crops: 2nd Edition)

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Abstract

This study examined the effects of two apple cultivars (Gala and Jonagold), four irrigation levels (0, 10, 20, and 30 mm), and four fertilization treatments (N₀P₀K₀, N₈P₈K₈, N₁₆P₁₆K₁₆, N₂₄P₂₄K₂₄) on nursery tree density. Jonagold exhibited a slightly higher mean density (95.63 ± 4.790%) compared to Gala (93.50 ± 6.195%). Tree density peaked at 99.38 ± 1.295% under the 30 mm irrigation level and declined with reduced irrigation, while fertilization levels showed no significant independent effect. Both cultivars achieved their highest densities under the 30 mm irrigation level (Gala: 99.25 ± 1.650%; Jonagold: 99.50 ± 0.827%), and several cultivar–fertilizer–irrigation combinations reached 100% density. The lowest density (89.00 ± 6.944%) occurred in Gala under the N₂₄P₂₄K₂₄ treatment without irrigation. Overall, results indicate that irrigation, particularly the 30 mm norm, is the key determinant of maximizing nursery tree density, with select combinations enabling complete survival.

Keywords: irrigation; fertilisation; nursery production; factorial experiment; trees quality

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MDPI and ACS Style

Venig, A.; Teușdea, A.C.; Peticilă, A. Optimizing Nursery Production of Apple Trees: Assessing the Dose Response to Water and Fertilizer in Two Cultivars. Horticulturae 2025, 11, 1425. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11121425

AMA Style

Venig A, Teușdea AC, Peticilă A. Optimizing Nursery Production of Apple Trees: Assessing the Dose Response to Water and Fertilizer in Two Cultivars. Horticulturae. 2025; 11(12):1425. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11121425

Chicago/Turabian Style

Venig, Adelina, Alin Cristian Teușdea, and Adrian Peticilă. 2025. "Optimizing Nursery Production of Apple Trees: Assessing the Dose Response to Water and Fertilizer in Two Cultivars" Horticulturae 11, no. 12: 1425. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11121425

APA Style

Venig, A., Teușdea, A. C., & Peticilă, A. (2025). Optimizing Nursery Production of Apple Trees: Assessing the Dose Response to Water and Fertilizer in Two Cultivars. Horticulturae, 11(12), 1425. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11121425

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Optimizing Nursery Production of Apple Trees: Assessing the Dose Response to Water and Fertilizer in Two Cultivars

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