ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to assess the effects of conventional and organic management systems on mineral composition, incidence of pests and fruit quality attributes of ‘Royal Gala’ and ‘Fuji apples. This study was carried out in São Joaquim-SC, in 2008/09 and 2009/10, on a Humic Inceptisol. Apple trees under organic management system had leaves with higher mean and specific area, and higher K and Cu contents in both cultivars, andhigher Ca content in ‘Royal Gala’. Organic apples at commercial maturity had higher values of percentageof blush in apples skin, flesh firmness, fruit fly damage, higher K/ Ca, Mg/Ca and (K+Mg)/Ca ratios in flesh fruit, and higher Cu content in both cultivars, as well as higher K content in the flesh of ‘Royal Gala’ apples. Apples trees of organic system had lower values of chlorophyll and N contents in the leaves, lower yield and lower incidence of fruits with apple scab, fruits with lower soluble solids and Ca contents in the flesh fruit, in both cultivars, as well as lower incidence of sunburn in fruits of ‘Royal Gala’ and lower fruit skin K content in ‘Fuji’ apples. Organic apple production system is viable, since efficient technologies are adopted to prevent the fruit fly damage
Malus domestica; apples mineral composition; copper in organic apples; russeting; fruit fly
