Prognosis of the nutritional status of apple trees based on prebloom leaves and flowers

Abstract

The utilization of prebloom tissues to predict nutrition of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) trees is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the possible use of mineral analyses of the prebloom spur leaves and flowers to forecast the nutrition of ‘Idared’ apple trees in the mid-summer (based on the leaves from current-season shoots). The prebloom leaf concentrations of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, boron and manganese were positively correlated with those in the summer leaves. The significant relationships between nitrogen, calcium, boron, and manganese in the flowers and those in the mid-summer leaves were also found. However, only the relationship between boron in the prebloom spur leaves and in the summer leaves was sufficiently strong. The calculated optimal range of boron in the prebloom spur leaves was 20–25 mg kg⁻¹.

Keywords:

• apple
• leaves
• flowers
• nutrition forecasting