Effects of Irrigation Management Techniques on Branch Formation in Apricot Seedlings Cultivated in Nursery Settings

Producing trees in nursery environments involves a complex and structured approach, crucial for ensuring high-quality planting material required for orchard establishment and renewal. The effectiveness of this process relies on a sequence of clearly defined stages and a careful attention to detail, ranging from the selection of genetic resources to the application of specific technological practices. Given the recent climatic changes in Romania, irrigation within nurseries has become a critical requirement rather than a mere option, essential for securing the optimal development of planting material. This study was conducted in Field II of a Romanian nursery, using two local apricot 'cultivars—'Excelsior' and 'Favorit'. Four irrigation treatments were implemented: a non-irrigated control and three irrigation levels of 10 mm, 20 mm, and 30 mm. The experiment employed a randomized block design, with each treatment replicated three times, and each replicate comprising 10 trees. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the interaction between irrigation practices and the development of a key morphological trait in apricot seedlings grown in nursery conditions—specifically, the formation of first-order branches. Irrigation served as the main factor, while cultivar represented the secondary factor. The findings demonstrated that both factors had a real and distinctively significant impact on the overall branching growth of apricot seedlings within the context of environmentally consistent experimental conditions. The results indicate that the 'Favorit' cultivar exhibited significantly greater branch development under non-irrigated conditions, whereas the 'Excelsior' seedlings responded most favorably to the 20 mm irrigation treatment.