Determination of the effects on yield and fruit quality of boron foliar applications in reducing water stress in apricot trees

This research was carried out in Amik Plain of the province of Hatay and on apricot trees. According to the factorial experimental design, three different doses of boron from foliar (150ppm-B150, 225ppm-B225, 300ppm B300) except for the control treatment (B0) given to the leaf were set at 3 different irrigation levels (S100, S75, S50 and S25 deficit irrigation treatment) of available water capacities with 3 repetition. In the experiment, the main subject were composed of the irrigation levels, and the sub treatment were composed of boron doses. Every irrigation level were consisted of six rows. The drip irrigation method were used in the experiment. During the experiment, analyzes of the pomological characteristics and leaf boron content were measure, evapotranspiration and water use efficient calculated. The amount of irrigation water applied in the trial was between 179 mm and 742 mm, the evapotranspiration was between 295 mm and 832 mm, the lowest and highest values during the irrigation season. Irrigation (IWUE) and water use efficient (WUE) were 3.51-5.18 kg m-3, 2.89-4.17 kg m-3. Boron doses did not cause differences in WUE and IWUE values. Each unit increase in plant water consumption resulted in an average increase of 1.68 kg da-1 in yield. The fruit weight decreased by 13% and 3% respectively on S25 and S50 issues when the subject of full irrigation was based on S100, and increased by 2% on S75. On the basis of B0, fruit weight increased by 2%, 4%, 2% in B150, B225, B300 treatments. In irrigation levels, the average fruit size value was 47.40 mm (S75) and 42.99 mm (S25); fruit seed weight value was 2.41g seed (S25) and 3.04 g seed (S100); SÇKM values were 16.13 (S100) and 12.65 (S25); pH values were 3.16 (S100) and 3.30 (S50). The increase in boron doses did not cause a significant difference in fruit length and fruit width. Average seed weight in boron applications was measured at B225 with 2.69 g and B0 with a minimum weight of 2.57 g. Boron application during the flowering period caused the boron concentration in the Leaf (average values) to change depending on irrigation levels and increase as irrigation level increases. Boron applications in leaf boron content increased up to B225 dose due to the increase in dose B300 dose showed a decreased tendency.