DEVELOPMENT OF FERTILIZER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEW OR RECENTLY DEVELOPED ORCHARD AREAS

When attempting to develop appropriate fertilizer strategies for new or recently developed deciduous fruit projects it is easy to be misled about the nutrient status of orchards particularly if the only background information which is available has been developed from extensively cropped areas or from soil survey data collected for other purposes.

The management practices used by farmers during establishment of new orchards, and the past cropping history of the land can together profoundly affect the actual fertility of the soil for tree crop production.

Leaf analysis surveys can define the current nutrient status of young mature orchards.
Soil analysis, together with data obtained from grower interviews using a carefully designed questionnaire on management history can help trace reasons for the current nutrient status of each orchard and generate testable hypotheses as to specific fertilizer requirements.

Some preliminary data from a study in Baluchistan will be discussed in the context of these statements.

III International Workshop on Temperate Zone Fruits in the Tropics and Subtropics

J.B. Robinson, M.P.K. Stallen

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1990.279.64