Articles
EFFECT OF ORGANIC FERTILIZATION ON SOIL FERTILITY, TREE NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND NUTRIENT REMOVAL OF MATURE NECTARINE TREES
Article number
1001_34
Pages
303 – 310
Language
English
Abstract
Composted municipal solid waste is a good source of nutrients for fruit trees, but its timing of mineralization and nutrient release is difficult to predict.
The objectives of the present experiment were to evaluate the long-term effect (11 years) of organic fertilization on soil fertility, tree nutritional status and nutrient removal in a commercial orchard of nectarine Stark RedGold (Prunus persica var. nectarine) grafted on GF677 peach × almond (P. persica × P. dulcis L.) hybrid.
The experiment was carried out in 2011, near Ravenna, Italy with the following treatments, established since orchard plantation in 2001: 1) unfertilized control; 2) mineral fertilization (P and K at planting; N, up to 130 kg ha-1 year-1, split in May and September); 3) cow manure at 10 t dry weight (dw) ha-1 at planting and 5 t dw ha-1 yearly from the 4th year on; 4) compost (10 t dw ha-1 at planting and 5 t dw ha-1 yearly from the 4th year on); 5) compost (5 t dw ha-1 year-1) and 6) compost (10 t dw ha-1 year-1), with both 5) and 6) split as described for N in treatment 2. The compost was obtained from domestic organic wastes (50%) mixed with pruning material from urban ornamental trees (50%) after 3 months of aerobic stabilization.
Nitrate-N soil concentration was increased by the application of compost at the highest rate only in June 2011. At harvest, fruit yield was greater with compost application at
10 t dw ha-1 year-1; fruit size increased with mineral and high rate compost fertilizations.
Unlike thinned fruit, naturally abscised leaves and pruning wood from trees in plots with mineral fertilizer or compost (10 t dw ha-1 year-1) had greater biomass with higher N, Mg, Mn, Fe and Cu removal than other treatments.
Yearly application of compost at 10 t ha-1 promoted tree growth and fruit yield similar to mineral fertilization, while not increasing the risk of nitrate leaching and pollution.
The objectives of the present experiment were to evaluate the long-term effect (11 years) of organic fertilization on soil fertility, tree nutritional status and nutrient removal in a commercial orchard of nectarine Stark RedGold (Prunus persica var. nectarine) grafted on GF677 peach × almond (P. persica × P. dulcis L.) hybrid.
The experiment was carried out in 2011, near Ravenna, Italy with the following treatments, established since orchard plantation in 2001: 1) unfertilized control; 2) mineral fertilization (P and K at planting; N, up to 130 kg ha-1 year-1, split in May and September); 3) cow manure at 10 t dry weight (dw) ha-1 at planting and 5 t dw ha-1 yearly from the 4th year on; 4) compost (10 t dw ha-1 at planting and 5 t dw ha-1 yearly from the 4th year on); 5) compost (5 t dw ha-1 year-1) and 6) compost (10 t dw ha-1 year-1), with both 5) and 6) split as described for N in treatment 2. The compost was obtained from domestic organic wastes (50%) mixed with pruning material from urban ornamental trees (50%) after 3 months of aerobic stabilization.
Nitrate-N soil concentration was increased by the application of compost at the highest rate only in June 2011. At harvest, fruit yield was greater with compost application at
10 t dw ha-1 year-1; fruit size increased with mineral and high rate compost fertilizations.
Unlike thinned fruit, naturally abscised leaves and pruning wood from trees in plots with mineral fertilizer or compost (10 t dw ha-1 year-1) had greater biomass with higher N, Mg, Mn, Fe and Cu removal than other treatments.
Yearly application of compost at 10 t ha-1 promoted tree growth and fruit yield similar to mineral fertilization, while not increasing the risk of nitrate leaching and pollution.
Publication
Authors
M. Toselli, E. Baldi, G. Marcolini, M. Quartieri, G. Sorrenti, B. Marangoni, A. Innocenti
Keywords
Prunus persica var. nectarine, compost, cow manure, nitrogen, nitrate-N
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