ISHS Acta Horticulturae 696: VII International Symposium on Temperate Zone Fruits in the Tropics and Subtropics - Part Two
FOLIAR SAMPLING TECHNIQUES AND SEASONAL VARIATION IN LEAF NUTRIENT CONTENTS OF KIWIFRUIT |
| Authors: | N. Sharma, H.S. Verma, S.D. Sharma |
| Keywords: | kiwifruit, nutrients, seasonal variation, sampling |
| Abstract:
Four leaf tissues (leaf blade, petiole, leaf blade + petiole and half leaf blade + petiole) and five positions of leaves (top leaf, middle leaf, 2nd to 3rd leaf from last fruit on shoot, 5th to 6th leaf from shoot base and basal leaf) were analysed for macro and micro-nutrient elements. For seasonal variation in leaf nutrient contents, samples were collected at 4 weeks interval between 2nd and 22nd week after flowering from 15 orchards selected in major kiwifruit growing areas of Himachal Pradesh. In leaf tissues, the highest N, Fe and Mn were found in leaf blade only and P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu as well as Zn were higher in petiole as compared to other leaf tissues sampled. However, leaf blade + petiole exhibited the intermediate concentration and least co-efficient of variation for N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Zn. Among different leaf positions sampled, top leaf had higher concentration of N, P and K whereas, basal leaf exhibited higher concentration of Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn contents as compared to other leaf positions. On the basis of medium nutrient contents and least co-efficient of variation, leaf blade + petiole may be the ideal tissue and middle leaf could be the best position for foliar sampling in kiwifruit. In case of seasonal variation, N, K and Zn contents in the leaves decreased and Ca, Mg and Mn contents increased throughout the sampling period. P content decreased between 2nd and 18th week after flowering and increased thereafter, however, Cu increased between 2nd and 6th week and Fe increased initially till 10th week after flowering and both nutrient elements decreased thereafter throughout the sampling period. The best time for collecting leaf samples for diagnostic purpose was found to be 10th to 14th week after flowering for N, P, K, Cu as well as Fe and 14th to 18th week after flowering for Ca, Mg, Zn and Mn. | |
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