Table 2.

The influence of soil amendments on growth, tree vitality, and mortality of Pyrus communis ‘Williams’ Bon Chrétien’ in Year 2.

TreatmentTree vitalityGrowth
SPADPIPnFruit yield/tree (kg)Crown volumeMortality (%)
Control (no amendment)41.54.03.904.50.710
Molasses pellets41.3ns4.6ns4.22ns6.0*0.82ns0
Biochar45.5ns6.2*4.50*6.2*0.95*0
BOOST Organic granular52.3*7.5*4.62*7.8*0.84*0
BOOST Organic granular + biochar55.8*7.7*4.48*7.8*0.90*0
BOOST Organic granular + molasses pellets50.9*7.0*4.46*7.2*0.82*0
Molasses pellets + biochar48.8*6.1*4.60*5.9*0.87*0
BOOST Organic granular + molasses pellets + biochar51.1*6.9*4.39*6.6*0.83*0
  • Notes: All values mean of surviving trees from an initial number of 10. Asterisk (*) = significant differences between means (P = 0.05). P < 0.05 are considered significant based on Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference test. SPAD = estimated leaf chlorophyll content, PI = chlorophyll fluorescence, Pn = light-induced CO2 fixation.