PJB-2018-557
SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN MINERAL NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS IN LEAVES OF TWO LATE-MATURING CITRUS CULTIVARS AS A GUIDE FOR FERTILIZATION
XING-ZHENG FU
Abstract
Due to longtime of fruit load on the trees, the nutrient disorders are serious in late-maturing citrus, and rational fertilization for late-maturing citrus is unclear. To solve this issue, the seasonal variations in mineral nutrient contents in vegetative branch leaves of two late-maturing citrus cultivars were studied in this study. The results showed that the N, P, K, and Mg contents in leaves in the two cultivars decreased as leaf age increased, with the highest decreases occurring from June to August, and December to April of the following year, respectively. The Ca, S, Fe, Mn, and B contents increased as leaf age increased, and Zn and Cu contents were relatively stable. Most of the nutrient elements in leaves were stable from August to October, and April to October of the following year, respectively. It suggests that August to October and April to October are the optimal sampling period for the nutritional diagnosis of 1-year-old and 2-year-old leaves, respectively. June to August and February to April are the main periods when nutrient contents decreased. During these periods, it is recommended that any quick-acting fertilizers should be applied to reduce the nutrient consumption and to maintain the normal function of the leaves.
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