Determination of iron chlorosis with extractable iron analysis in peach leaves

Abstract

Iron (Fe) though indispensable for the biosynthesis of chlorophyll, but its total content in the plant was not associated with the occurrence of chlorosis. Iron, which is the ferrous‐iron (Fe²⁺) form—termed “active”; Fe— and extracted with weak acids and some chelating agents, has been closely related to Fe chlorosis. In this study, three different methods were tested in order to determine suitable methods for extractable‐Fe analysis in a Dixired peach cultivar. In the first two methods, o‐phenantroline (o‐Ph) and 1N hydrochloric acid (HCl) were used to extract Fe²⁺ from fresh leaves. In the third method, 1N HCl were used as an extractant on dried leaf samples. The relationship between chlorophyll content of the leaves and Fe extracted by the three methods, was statistically significant. Hydrochloric acid extraction with dried leaves which gave the highest significant correlation (r = 0.930) with chlorophyll content, can be used for the determination of Fe²⁺ ("active”; Fe) status in peach trees.