Effect of Biochar on Apple Yield and Quality in Aged Apple Orchards on the Loess Plateau (China)

Abstract

Apples are not only a foodstuff, but also a raw material for many industrial production fields, and the market demand is constantly increasing. The Loess Plateau is one of the world’s largest apple-producing areas, with about 85% are aged orchards (more than 20 years old), facing problems such as poor soil water retention, degradation of tree strength, and declining yield and quality, etc, so do aged orchards in other regions of the world, and study on improving quality and increasing yield of aged orchards is of great significance to the sustainable development of the apple industry. Here, 6 treatments (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 kg/plant) were designed in the experiment to study the effects of biochar on yield and quality in aged apple orchards. The study showed that: biochar could improve soil water retention, but caused the soil alkalization; biochar could improve apple quality and increase yield, T3 and T4 were of better quality, and T3 had the highest yield. Comprehensive analysis, T3 is the optimal scheme. The results not only provide a reference for aged orchards worldwide, but also have great significance for the sustainable development of the apple industry.