Articles
Comparing methods for varying fertilizer rate in tart cherry orchard management
Article number
1432_6
Pages
45 – 50
Language
English
Abstract
Orchard sites often have highly variable soils that contribute to non-uniform tree growth, which is further exacerbated by uniform constant-rate fertilizer applications.
The objective of this study was to improve uniformity of tart cherry (Prunus cerasus) growth through the implementation of variable rate fertilizer applications based on two methods of quantifying spatial variability: soil maps of apparent electrical conductivity and satellite-based maps of tree vigor.
These variable rate methods were compared to constant-rate application in four commercial orchards of Prunus cerasus L. ‘Mahaleb’ near Santaquin, Utah, USA. Each of the three fertilizer regimes were replicated three times in each of the four orchard blocks.
Canopy density and volume were monitored monthly throughout the 2023 growing season and in spring 2024 using ceptometry and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-mounted red, green, blue (RGB) cameras.
Yield variability was also tracked during the 2023 harvest; and postharvest leaf samples were collected within management zones of each fertilizer regime for nutrient analysis.
Preliminary findings indicate significant differences in leaf nutrient content both among management zones and across orchard blocks.
Visible nutrient deficiency symptoms in 2024 are spatially correlated with soil texture variability.
Further work will involve the continued monitoring and mapping of tree growth and yield through the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons.
The objective of this study was to improve uniformity of tart cherry (Prunus cerasus) growth through the implementation of variable rate fertilizer applications based on two methods of quantifying spatial variability: soil maps of apparent electrical conductivity and satellite-based maps of tree vigor.
These variable rate methods were compared to constant-rate application in four commercial orchards of Prunus cerasus L. ‘Mahaleb’ near Santaquin, Utah, USA. Each of the three fertilizer regimes were replicated three times in each of the four orchard blocks.
Canopy density and volume were monitored monthly throughout the 2023 growing season and in spring 2024 using ceptometry and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-mounted red, green, blue (RGB) cameras.
Yield variability was also tracked during the 2023 harvest; and postharvest leaf samples were collected within management zones of each fertilizer regime for nutrient analysis.
Preliminary findings indicate significant differences in leaf nutrient content both among management zones and across orchard blocks.
Visible nutrient deficiency symptoms in 2024 are spatially correlated with soil texture variability.
Further work will involve the continued monitoring and mapping of tree growth and yield through the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons.
Authors
B. Black, K. Wedegaertner, A. Safre, G. Cardon, M. Yost
Keywords
Prunus cerasus, spatial variability, electrical conductivity, precision management, satellite imagery, leaf tissue analysis
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