Articles
EFFECTIVENESS OF SOIL-APPLIED FRESH-GROUND MELIA (MELIA AZEDARACH L.) FRUITS ON NITROGEN UPTAKE FOR PEACH TREES
Article number
868_13
Pages
129 – 134
Language
English
Abstract
We assessed the effect of soil-applied fresh-ground fruits of melia (Melia azedarach L.) on N uptake for peach nutrition.
Forty one-year-old Rome Star peach trees (Prunus persica) grafted to GF677 peach x almond hybrid rootstock were planted in 20-L pots in April 2006. On 16 May, 20 pots were fertilized with compost at a rate of 100 g/pot and 20 pots were dressed with urea at 1.4 g/pot.
On September 11, the two sets of trees received the same amount of N (0.64 g/pot) as urea (urea-treated pots) and blood meal (compost-treated pots). The following compounds were applied as nitrification inhibitors to 4 pots each: untreated control; 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) at 10 mg/pot; commercial neem cake at 20 g kg-1 of soil; and fresh-ground fruits of melia at 20 and 40 g kg-1 of soil.
All inhibitors were incorporated into the soil at planting except for DMPP, which was supplied along with the fertilizer (urea and compost/blood meal) applications.
In our experimental conditions, all the nitrification inhibitors did not delay soil N mineralization, indeed the application of neem cake increased soil NO3–-N concentration in all sampling dates.
An increase in leaf N concentration and microbial respiration was observed after application of neem cake and ground melia fruits at both concentrations, although only the latter increased shoot length.
Forty one-year-old Rome Star peach trees (Prunus persica) grafted to GF677 peach x almond hybrid rootstock were planted in 20-L pots in April 2006. On 16 May, 20 pots were fertilized with compost at a rate of 100 g/pot and 20 pots were dressed with urea at 1.4 g/pot.
On September 11, the two sets of trees received the same amount of N (0.64 g/pot) as urea (urea-treated pots) and blood meal (compost-treated pots). The following compounds were applied as nitrification inhibitors to 4 pots each: untreated control; 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) at 10 mg/pot; commercial neem cake at 20 g kg-1 of soil; and fresh-ground fruits of melia at 20 and 40 g kg-1 of soil.
All inhibitors were incorporated into the soil at planting except for DMPP, which was supplied along with the fertilizer (urea and compost/blood meal) applications.
In our experimental conditions, all the nitrification inhibitors did not delay soil N mineralization, indeed the application of neem cake increased soil NO3–-N concentration in all sampling dates.
An increase in leaf N concentration and microbial respiration was observed after application of neem cake and ground melia fruits at both concentrations, although only the latter increased shoot length.
Authors
E. Baldi, M. Toselli, G. Sorrenti, M. Quartieri, B. Marangoni
Keywords
Azadirachta indica, neem, compost, microbial respiration, nitrate, urea
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