Effects of Different Crop Loads on Physiological, Yield and Fruit Quality of ‘Joya^TM’ Apple Trees: High Crop Load Decreases Maximum Daily Trunk Diameter and Does Not Affect Stem Water Potential

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different crop load levels on apple trees’ yield and physiological characteristics, emphasizing relationship between stem water potential link trunk diameter growth load. It was conducted in 2014 at Station Expérimentale Fruits et Légumes (SUDEXPE-CEHM) Southern France. The ‘JoyaTM’ Pajam-1 rootstock used as plant material. Trees were subjected hand thinning obtain four final high (100%; 10 fruit/cm2 branch cross-sectional area (BCSA)), medium-high (75%; 7.5 BCSA), medium-low (50%; 5 BCSA) low (25%; 2.5 BCSA). set up a randomized block design with replications, each plot formed five uniform trees. Stem weakly affected by but mainly driven vapor pressure deficit. maximum daily diameter, large, reduced while level increased. increase negatively related fruit size, acidity soluble solids content. Crop did not affect bitter pit incidence. However, parallel increasing level, cumulative yield, efficiency productivity