ISHS Acta Horticulturae 545: V International Protea Research Symposium
LEAF ANALYSIS AS A TOOL FOR DETERMINATION OF PROPER FERTILIZATION OF LEUCADENDRON ‘SAFARI SUNSET’ |
| Authors: | I. Ran, H. Hupert, A. Avidan, M. Eizinger, E. Schlomo |
| Keywords: | macro elements, micro elements, growth media, tuff, fertigation, tissue analysis |
| Abstract:
Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’ is an important ornamental plant for export from Israel, with an annual production of around 25 million stems in each of the last two years. The present area of ‘Safari’ plantation is about 400 acre all over the country. Since the plant is a perennial bush, it can be compared to other orchard crops, in which leaf analysis is being used as a tool to determine fertilization regimes. The aim of our research was to develop such a routine for L. ‘Safari Sunset’, to enable farmers to use it, together with soil analysis, to verify the fertilization regime, and correct nutrient deficiencies as soon as possible. During the summer of 1996, we collected leaves from five ‘Safari’ plantations in Western and Upper Galilee once a month. The results of leaf analysis correlated well with those of experiments conducted in Australia and Israel and with the standard recommendations of the Israeli Extension Service (I.E.S.). We also found it very important to use the data of leaf analysis together with those of soil analysis, and to evaluate them with relation to the expected yield. In 1998 we tried to apply the results, by sampling leaves in seven plantations in October. We did not find any positive correlation between levels of either macro or micro elements in the leaves and the yield. Since, like other researchers, we succeeded only in determining the range of the levels of elements in leaves, more work should be done to find a positive correlation between this range and the yield. Positive results would enable the farmer to apply leaf analysis as a more reliable tool. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
