Articles
RESPONSE OF AVOCADO TO CALCAREOUS AND ORGANIC AMENDMENTS
Article number
175_25
Pages
179 – 181
Language
English
Abstract
In eastern Australia the soils on which avocados are grown are generally red basaltic and previously carried rainforest.
With clearing, these soils have been rapidly depleted of nutrients and organic matter, making them conducive, under high rainfall, to Phytophthora root rot.
In an attempt to alleviate the losses from root rot and increase yields, seven soil management regimes were evaluated at the Tropical Fruit Research Station, Alstonville.
Treatments included calcareous amendments (gypsum, dolomite) and organic matter (fowl manure, cover crops).
With clearing, these soils have been rapidly depleted of nutrients and organic matter, making them conducive, under high rainfall, to Phytophthora root rot.
In an attempt to alleviate the losses from root rot and increase yields, seven soil management regimes were evaluated at the Tropical Fruit Research Station, Alstonville.
Treatments included calcareous amendments (gypsum, dolomite) and organic matter (fowl manure, cover crops).
Calcareous amendments elevated soil exchangeable calcium levels threefold, compared to original soil levels.
Ca concentration in the leaf was highest in the gypsum treatment, which had significantly higher yields than all other treatments.
Organic matter amendments increased soil microbial biomass.
Losses from root rot were highest where drainage was impeded and fewer trees were affected in treatments receiving calcium.
Authors
T. Trochoulias, P. Broadbent, D.R. Baigent
Keywords
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