Changing climatic conditions in recent years, including droughts during the plant growing season, have become a serious problem in fruit production. In 2017 and 2018, the weather conditions varied considerably. The aim of study was to determine the effect of climatic conditions in consecutive plant growing seasons on the response of selected apple varieties as manifested by their growth and yielding. Significant uniformity in the tree growth was observed, expressed using trunk cross sectional area (TCSA) and leaf area. The best uniformity of yields was observed for the variety Beni Shogun (Fuji), while the varieties Gala Schniga and Ligol showed greater variation in fruiting. The tree growth and yielding were significantly dependent on the mineral content in leaves. At the same time, an apple variety was found to have a significant effect on the content of N, K, Ca, Mg, Mn and Cu in leaves, whereas no such effect was observed in the case of K, Fe, Zn and Na. Moreover, significant variation in the years of the study was recorded (for means of the cultivars) with respect to the N, P, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu content in fruit, at a lack of any such effect on the K content. An apple variety significantly modified the K content in fruit (the mean value for the two-year study), while no such effect was recorded for the content of N, P, Ca, Mg and Na, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu.

25.1.2020