Articles
FERTIGATION EXPERIMENTS WITH APPLE SEEDLINGS IN OLD ORCHARD SOIL
Article number
363_11
Pages
83 – 92
Language
Abstract
Fertigation was investigated as a treatment for improving growth of apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.) in replant soils, previously in apple orchards, in experiments using apple seedlings.
In short term (<15 weeks) greenhouse experiments, growth of apple seedlings in response to weekly irrigation of solutions containing the same amount of N as N, NP, NPK or complete (Long Ashton) nutrient solution, was measured for four different soils which were to be replanted.
Fertigation of N only, was generally least beneficial to seedling growth, whereas NP and NPK fertigation most consistently increased growth.
Use of a Long Ashton nutrient solution had an inconsistent effect on growth.
K deficiency, ameliorated by NPK fertigation, was identified as the major limitation to growth at a high pH site.
Use of seedling tests seemed to underestimate the subsequent response of apple trees to K in the field.
However, needs to monitor pH and salinity of fertigated soils and investigate fumigation-fertigation interactions were implied by seedling responses.
In short term (<15 weeks) greenhouse experiments, growth of apple seedlings in response to weekly irrigation of solutions containing the same amount of N as N, NP, NPK or complete (Long Ashton) nutrient solution, was measured for four different soils which were to be replanted.
Fertigation of N only, was generally least beneficial to seedling growth, whereas NP and NPK fertigation most consistently increased growth.
Use of a Long Ashton nutrient solution had an inconsistent effect on growth.
K deficiency, ameliorated by NPK fertigation, was identified as the major limitation to growth at a high pH site.
Use of seedling tests seemed to underestimate the subsequent response of apple trees to K in the field.
However, needs to monitor pH and salinity of fertigated soils and investigate fumigation-fertigation interactions were implied by seedling responses.
Publication
Authors
G.H. Neilsen, E.J. Hogue, J. Braid
Keywords
Online Articles (26)