**13. Nutrient management**

The suggested fertilizer rates per hectare for intensive orchard production techniques are 170 kg of nitrogen, 45 kg of phosphorus, and 130–190 kg of potassium. While potassium and phosphorus are sprayed at the beginning of the growth season, nitrogen is applied all year round. It is recommended to apply 0.25–1.0 kg of NPK fertilizer per tree evenly between early spring and summertime. The producer should give the plants in their fifth or sixth year a special feeding of 2 parts superphosphate, 1 1/2 parts nitrate of soda, and 1 part sulfite of potash in late winter or early spring at a rate of 1–1.5 kg per plant or 100 kg per hectare.
