Objective The research aimed to study the relationship between drying rate and root water content and the effects of different microclimate environments on apple branch drying.

Methods The branch drying rate of one-year-old seedlings of six apple varieties such as 'Venus Golden' and 'Qincui' was investigated after natural overwintering. Compare the anti-drying ability of different varieties of apples; taking Forbes Fuji as the test material, the soil indexes under different microclimate environments were measured, and the relationship between apple branch drying and different microclimate environments was analyzed.

Results The root water content of drought-resistant apple varieties was higher than that of drought-susceptible varieties, and the roots were more developed. The daily temperature changes of beside the road and beside the shelterbelt were smaller than that of middle of the orchard. The soil moisture content of next to the highway is high, the bulk density is small, the porosity is large, and the branch drying rate is lower than other areas, forming a microclimate environment conducive to the growth of apples.

Conclusion The root water content of apple varieties with resistance to drainage was higher. Due to the small daily temperature change, moisturizing, high and stable ground temperature, the 'shelter forest side' has a low branch drying rate.