مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - Evaluation of Apple Orchards in terms of Plant Nutrition Status in Isparta Province

Abstract :

There are several methods for determining an orchard’s nutritional needs. The leaf analysis is a commonly used, fast and efficient tool for assessing the nutritional status of fruit orchards towards maximizing the yield and yield quality. Thus we aimed to reveal the nutritional status of apple orchards of Isparta province by collecting the leaf samples at the middle vegetation from 150 orchards in 2010 and 2011 growing seasons. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and boron (B) concentrations were analyzed in the leaves and the current nutritional status of the orchards were evaluated. As total leaf nutrient concentrations considered, N, K and Mg were high; P, Mn and B were adequate; and Ca and Zn were deficient. Despite total K and Mg concentrations were well over the reference sufficiency levels intotal, their ratio to the other nutrient elements indicated that K and Mg were inadequate. Therefore a fertilization program considering the elemental ratio of plant nutrients rather than their total concentrations should be practiced to enhance both yield and yield quality.