Seasonal Variation of Foliar Nutrient Concentrations in Pinus radiata in the Southern Cape

SYNOPSIS

This paper investigates the temporal variation of some foliar nutrients in Pinus radiata in the Southern Cape over a two year period. The best time of the year for sampling is winter when there is the least variability of foliar levels. Future sampling of Pinus radiata in long-term comparison trials should follow these recommendations. The ranking of elements in order of temporal variability was Al>Ca>Mn>K>N>P. The microelements exhibited a large short-term variation rather than the clearer seasonal one shown by the macro-elements. The variation is not related to rainfall. Analytical variation was less than temporal variation in all cases except that of phosphorus.