Mineral Fertilization System for Sustainable Apple Production in Southern Russia

Sustainable fruit production plays a crucial role in ecosystem preservation. However, farmers are facing challenges in achieving economic yield due to the frequent occurrence of abiotic stressors and weather anomalies associated with climate change. The research is aimed at determining the optimal doses of mineral fertilizers (NPK) when growing various varieties in compacted apple plantations in southern regions of Russia to ensure the sustainable development of the agroecosystem of the garden. The research was carried out under the conditions of field experience set in 2022–2024 in an irrigated intensive apple orchard, laid in 2016 on the territory of the Kuban educational and experimental farm of the Kuban State Agrarian University (Krasnodar). The soil of the experimental site is leached chernozem. The trees are arranged according to the scheme 4.0 x 1.0 m (2500 trees/ha). The scheme of the experiment included the study of the following doses of fertilizers: 1 – control (production background recommended for traditional plantations – 1666 trees/ha: N130P130K130); 2 - production background + N40P40K40; 3 - production background + N60P60K60; 4 - production background + N80P80K80. In order to ensure the sustainable functioning of compacted apple plantations, a differentiated approach is needed to select the optimal dose of mineral fertilizers using the intensity of tree growth of the varieties. Apple varieties, characterized by restrained tree growth, are the most responsive to an increase in the level of mineral nutrition. At the same time, when using high-growth varieties, doses of mineral fertilizers should be minimized.