ISHS Acta Horticulturae 448: III International Symposium on Mineral Nutrition of Deciduous Fruit Trees
EFFICACY OF NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENTS AND ROOTSTOCK ON MINERAL NUTRITION, GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF PEACH ON REPLANT SITES |
| Authors: | G.L. Reighard, C.J. Graham, D.R. Ellis |
| Keywords: | foliar nutrient sprays, Prunus persica, peach tree short life, Pseudomonas syringae |
| Abstract:
Peach trees planted on replant sites in the southeastern United States often die in early spring from the disease syndrome called Peach Tree Short Life (PTSL). Dying trees are usually deficient in Ca, Mg and P and have elevated levels of aluminum in shoot tissues. Trees also die earlier on specific rootstocks. Mineral supplements in the form of chelated foliar sprays of ammonium citrate, calcium citrate, calcium lactate and calcium phosphate were applied seven times from April 10 to August 28 to one-year-old ‘Jefferson’ peach on Lovell and Nemaguard rootstocks planted on a non-fumigated PTSL soil. No significant differences among spray treatments in tree growth and survival were detected by year three. Between rootstocks, trees on Nemaguard were significantly larger and had higher PTSL death (85 % vs. 45 % for Lovell). In an adjacent, preplant fumigated, five-year-old ‘Redhaven’ peach orchard on Lovell and Nemaguard rootstocks, mineral nutrition and tree death were significantly influenced by rootstock cultivar. Trees on Nemaguard were significantly larger, but had significantly less K, Mg, and P in dormant shoots and less Ca, Mg, and P in dormant roots than trees on Lovell. Five Nemaguard and no Lovell trees died from PTSL. Results from these two studies suggest that rootstock cultivar was the most important factor in determining tree longevity on PTSL orchard sites. | |
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