The peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) integrated production regulates the N rates to be applied in order to obtain high yield and fruit quality without affecting plant sanity and environmental quality. However, there is a great lack of local information about N rate that it is necessary to achieve high yield for orchard at Lapa origin. So, an experiment was implanted in 5-year old commercial orchard, in the Lapa County, Paraná State, Brazil where it was evaluated N rates effect over the fruit yield, leaves concentration and quality, during three years. The experimental design was a randomized block with three treatments and three replications. The treatments were three N rates (40, 80 and 160 kg of N ha-1 ano-1), using urea as N source. The reduction in nitrogen fertilization, in established orchard, diminished the yield only for the second year. There was an accumulated yield decrease of 8,4 t ha-1 during three years, comparing the smallest to largest rate. The yield was straight associated with fruit number since the fruit mass and caliber were not affected by N application. The N fertilization did not effect fruit qualitative proprieties evaluated (total soluble solids, acidity total titratable and firmness of the pulp) and them values stayed within range concentration considered normal for cultivar. Leave tissue analysis showed that only N concentration was affected by the N fertilization for the three evaluated years, but being in normal levels for all treatments. The Ca, Mg, Fe and Zn leaves concentration was below normal level established for peach..
Prunus persica; peach; nutrition; nitrogen
