Leaf nutritional levels in peach and nectarine grown in subtropical climate

Teores nutricionais foliares em pessegueiro e nectarineira cultivados em clima subtropical

SOILS AND NUTRITION

Leaf nutritional levels in peach and nectarine grown in subtropical climate

Sarita Leonel^I; Manoel Euzébio De Souza^I; Marco Antonio Tecchio^II; Daniela Mota Segantini^I

^IUNESP. Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas. Departamento de Produção Vegetal/Horticultura. Rua José Barbosa de Barros, 1780. CEP – 18610-307. Botucatu-SP, E-mail: [e-mail]

^IICentro Avançado de Pesquisa Tecnológica do Agronegócio de Frutas - Instituto Agronômico de Campinas

ABSTRACT

The study evaluated the leaf nutritional levels of peach and nectarine trees under subtropical climate in order to improve the fertilization practices. The experiment was carried out in São Paulo state University, Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. The experimental design consisted of subdivided plots, in which plots corresponded to cultivars and subplots to the leaf sample periods. The evaluated peach cultivars were: Marli, Turmalina, Precocinho, Jubileu, Cascata 968, Cascata 848, CP 951C, CP 9553CYN, and Tropic Beauty, and that of nectarine was 'Sun Blaze'. The sample periods were: after harvest, plants in vegetative period; dormancy; beginning of flowering and fruiting (standard sample). Results indicated significant variations in the levels of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn for the sampling period and in N, Ca, Mg, S, B, Fe and Mn levels for the cultivars.

Index terms:Prunus persica var. vulgaris, Prunus persica var. nucipersica, mineral nutrition, phenology.

RESUMO

O trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os teores foliares de nutrientes das cultivares de pessegueiro e nectarineira, cultivados em clima subtropical, visando a fornecer subsídios às práticas de adubação da cultura nessas condições. O experimento foi realizado na Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, UNESP, Câmpus de Botucatu. O delineamento experimental empregado foi em parcelas subdivididas, em que ás parcelas corresponderam às cultivares avaliadas e as subparcelas às épocas de coleta das amostras foliares. As cultivares de pessegueiro avaliadas foram: Marli, Turmalina, Precocinho, Jubileu, Cascata 968, Cascata 848, CP 951-C, CP 9553-CYN e Tropic Beauty e da nectarineira 'Sun Blaze'. As épocas de coleta das amostras foram: 1 – após a colheita dos frutos, no período vegetativo (fevereiro); 2 – na dormência (maio); 3 – início do florescimento (agosto), e 4 – 13ª a 15ª semana após a plena floração, antes da colheita - frutificação (época padrão - outubro-novembro). Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que houve variações significativas para os teores de N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn e Zn em relação às épocas de amostragem e para N, Ca, Mg, S, B, Fe e Mn, para os teores nutricionais nas cultivares.

Termos para indexação:Prunus persica var. vulgaris, Prunus persica var. nucipersica, nutrição mineral, fenologia.

INTRODUCTION

Peach production in Brazil was 239,149 tons in 2008, and the harvested area was 21,326 ha (ANUÁRIO BRASILEIRO DA FRUTICULTURA, 2010). Located in a warmer climatic region, São Paulo State contributes with around 10% planted area and 23% national production, presenting 21.5 t/ha/year mean productivity, as well as economic potential for the cultivation of peach and nectarine trees. The state has the early fruit harvest as its great advantage not only over the main Brazilian producing regions, but also over most countries located in the Southern Hemisphere, such as Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and South Africa (PEREIRA et al., 2002).

In subtropical regions, specific procedures for orchard management are necessary, especially nutritional control, in which balanced and satisfactory mineral nutrition factors are related to good harvests at the stages of plant production and formation. Fructification and production for most temperate fruit plants, including peach trees, are initially associated with the suitable development of flower buds. Thus, nutritional and phytosanitary management, as well as suitable environmental conditions to break dormancy, are essential (NAVA et al., 2009). An adequate nutritional status of flowers leads to higher and effective fructification for most fruit species, and nutritional competition is also frequently associated with low fructification levels in several fruit trees. The competition for nutrients during flower bud differentiation originates malformed flowers, negatively affecting fructification (CROSSA-RAYNAUD et al., 1985).

Early defoliation is a serious and very common problem in the main peach producing regions in Brazil, especially in São Paulo State, where the temperatures of the cultivated areas are higher. According to Nava et al. (2009), early defoliation, caused by either environmental and nutritional issues or phytosanitary problems, usually decreases carbohydrate levels in the plants, affecting their fructification. Some reports in the literature consider that a suitable nutritional status of flower buds may overcome the effect of high temperatures during flowering due to the prolongation of the pistil receptivity time (GAO et al., 2002 and WOLUKAU et al., 2004).

Since nutritional management of peach and nectarine trees cultivated in subtropical regions is still little known, especially regarding leaf fertilization and different cultivar requirements, this study aimed to evaluate the leaf nutritional content for peach and nectarine cultivars at different phenological stages over the production cycle in order to provide information for fertilization techniques under those conditions.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This experiment was carried out in the School of Agronomical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu Municipality, São Paulo State, Brazil, at 22º 51' 55" S, 48º 27' 22" W and 810m altitude. The climate of this region is mesothermal, Cwa, i.e. subtropical humid including drought during the winter and rain from November to April; mean annual precipitation is 1,433mm and mean annual temperature, 19.3 ºC (Cunha et al., 1999). The soil was classified as Red Nitosol, according to Embrapa's criteria (1996). At 0−20cm depth, the following chemical characteristics were detected for the soil: pH (CaCl₂) = 5.4; OM = 35 g dm^-3; P (resin) = 16 mg dm^-3; H +Al = 27 mmol_c dm^-3; K = 3.7 mmol_c dm^-3; Ca = 28 mmol_c dm^-3; Mg = 13 mmol_c dm^-3; SB = 45 mmol_c dm^-3; CEC = 72 mmol_c dm^-3; V = 63%, which were analyzed according to RAIJ & QUAGGIO (1983).

The plants from the experimental area aged 7 years and were spaced 6.0m between plants x 4.0m between rows, in a dryland area. The rootstock 'Okinawa' was used for all canopy cultivars. To assure the good development of plants, cultural and phytosanitary procedures were performed during the whole experimental period by following technical recommendations (PEREIRA et al., 2002).

Samples of recently mature complete leaves (blade with petiole) were harvested from the medium portion of current-year branches in the different plant quadrants (Malavolta et al., 1997). Eight leaves were harvested from each plant, totaling three plants per plot, with four replicates. The total sample was composed of 96 leaves for each evaluated cultivar. The levels of the nutrients N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn were quantified, according to the methodology proposed by Malavolta et al. (1997), in the Laboratory of Plant Mineral Nutrition. Harvests occurred: 1 – after fruit harvest, at the vegetative stage (February); 2 – during the dormancy period (May); 3 – at flowering beginning (August); and 4 – from the 13^th to the 15^th week after full flowering, before harvest − fructification (October−November); this period is considered ideal to compare leaf patterns (LEECE & BARKS, 1974; JOHSON & URIU, 1989; FREIRE & MAGNANI, 2003).

The peach cultivars Marli, Precocinho, Turmalina, Jubileu, Cascata 968, Cascata 848, CP 951-C, CP 9553-CYN, and Tropic Beauty, as well as the nectarine cultivar 'Sun Blaze', were evaluated.

The experimental design was subdivided plots, in which plots corresponded to the cultivars evaluated, and the subplots, to the leaf harvests in 2009. The obtained results were subjected to analysis of variance and, as for significance, means were compared by Tukey's test at 1 and 5% probability.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

There were significant variations in the levels of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn according to harvests (Tables 1 to 6), which confirms that the uptake of mineral elements by peach trees varies with the plant physiological stages over the production cycle. The highest levels of N, S, B, and Zn were detected at the third harvest, corresponding to the onset of flowering. As regards P levels, the highest values were obtained at the third (flowering onset) and fourth (fructification) harvests. K and Ca levels were highest in the fructification period (fourth harvest), which corroborates the statement that these elements are essential to fruit quality in this period. The highest Mg and Mn levels were observed in the dormancy period (second harvest). At the first (after collection) and third (flowering onset) harvests, Cu levels were highest. Fe was highest at the second (dormancy) and third (flowering onset) harvests.

Johnson et al. (2006) emphasize that, although leaf sampling is worldwide recommended during the fructification stage, when the requirement for most nutrients is highest since fruits are the strongest plant drains, other periods can lead to better uptake of different nutrients, as observed in the present study. These authors also reported that leaf sampling during fructification can be considered very late to fulfill the fertilization requirements of the annual growth season. Based on this statement, the same authors evaluated leaf harvest during the dormancy period and observed a good response for N, P, B, and Zn. In their opinion, the other nutrients did not present response because deficiency symptoms had not been induced yet.

As regards the leaf content considered suitable for peach and nectarine trees, Leece & Barks (1974) reported the following international patterns: N (3.0−3.5%), P (0.14−0.25%), K (2.0−3.0%), Ca (1.8−2.7%), Mg (0.30−0.80%), Na (<0.02%), Cl (<0.3%), Fe (100−250 µg g^-1), Cu (5−16 µg g^-1), Mn (40−160 µg g^-1), Zn (20−50 µg g^-1), and B (15−19 µg g^-1). Johnson & Uriu (1989), in the United States, reported the following levels as optimal range: N (2.6-3.0%), P (0.1−0.3%), K (>1.2%), Ca (>1.0%), Mg (>0.25%), Fe (> 60 ppm), Mn (> 20 ppm), Zn (> 20 ppm), B (20−80 ppm), and Cu (> 4 ppm). The Soil Fertility Commission of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil (1994), set normal nutritional ranges for peach leaf samples, at the following levels: N (3.24−4.53%), P (0.15−0.28%), K (1.31−2.06%), Ca (1.64−2.61%), Mg (0.52−0.83%), Fe (100−230 mg kg^-1), Mn (31−160 mg kg^-1), Zn (24−37 mg kg^-1), Cu (6−30 mg kg^-1), and B (34−63 mg kg^-1).

The present results for the levels of N, P, K, Cu, Mn, Zn, and Fe were within the normal range, although there were differences regarding leaf harvests. Ca and Mg levels were below the recommended patterns, whereas B levels were above those values. S levels could not be compared since there were no reports on this element in the literature.

As regards nutrient uptake by the different evaluated cultivars, there were significant variations in the levels of N, Ca, Mg, S, B, Fe, and Mn, with different responses according to the nutrient. In general, leaf macronutrient uptake by the evaluated cultivars was in the following order: N>K>Ca>P>Mg>S. For micronutrients, the order was: Fe>Mn>B>Zn>Cu. According to Fachinello et al. (1996), nutrient export (kg/t) by fruits, pruned branches and leaves is: N (3.5), P₂O₅ (1.05) and K₂O (5.5), without considering the growth of peach trees. Malavolta (1980) reported that the levels of macronutrients (kg/ha) exported over peach fruit harvests (kg/ha) are: N (70); P(6); K (40); S (4); Ca (1.2); and Mg (2.4).

The results of the present study agree with those in the specialized literature, which state that nitrogen presents the highest uptake and the highest influence on peach tree productivity (Rombolá et al., 2000) since it directly affects the vegetative branch growth (Mattos et al., 1991), the number of vegetative and flower buds, and the number of fruits per plant. This nutrient can provide a longer period of leaf permanence, consequently increasing the period of reserve accumulation for the subsequent cycle (SERRAT et al., 2004). However, excessive supply can lead to oversprouting, which results in excessive shading, decreasing the fruit exposure to sunlight (MATTOS et al., 1991).

CONCLUSIONS

1. There were variations in the levels of N, Ca, Mg, S, B, Fe, and Mn for the different cultivars, with different responses according to the nutrient. As regards harvests at the different phenological stages of the peach tree, there was a difference in the leaf level of all evaluated nutrients.

2. In general, macronutrient uptake by the evaluated cultivars was in the following order: N>K>Ca>P>Mg>S. The order for micronutrient uptake was: Fe>Mn>B>Zn>Cu.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research project was supported by the FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo). Process: 09/50862-3.

1 Trabalho Sinfruit 074 - Simpósio Internacional de Fruticultura - Avanços na Fruticultura (17 a 21 Outubro)

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Teores nutricionais foliares em pessegueiro e nectarineira cultivados em clima subtropical

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  02 Dec 2011
• Date of issue
  Oct 2011