Effects of soil management systems and nitrogen fertiliser on the firmness and mean fruit weight of Cox's Orange Pippin apples at harvest

The firmness and mean fruit weight, at harvest, of Cox's Orange Pippin apples from a soil management and N fertiliser trial planted in 1972 were measured from 1979 to 1985 (excluding 1984). Trees growing in overall herbicide, or in 0.3-m herbicide-treated strips with irrigated grassed alleyways, produced significantly softer and/or larger apples than those from trees growing in unirrigated grass with narrow (0.3 m) or wide (1.7 m) herbicide-treated strips in 1982 and 1983. Both these years had drier than average summers. N fertiliser applied annually produced slightly larger and softer apples at 189 kg N ha^?1 than at 63 kg N ha^?1.