Nutritional efficiency for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in peach rootstocks

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine nutritional efficiency for macronutrients (NPK) in three peach rootstock cultivars, as well as relate these indices to growth variables. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four replications of five plants each and treatments consisting of the Capdeboscq, Flordaguard and Okinawa Roxo cultivars. The experiment was conducted between April and August of 2017, at the Federal University of Pelotas (31°52′00″S and 52°21′24″W, and altitude of 13.1 m), with the plants grown in 1-L bags containing commercial substrate to which a dose of 8 g L⁻¹ slow-release fertilizer in an NPK formulation of 14–14–14. Eighty days after transplanting, the growth characteristics were measured, and the macronutrient content was determined. From this data, efficiency indices were calculated for nutrient uptake, transport and use. The cultivars under evaluation differ in growth characteristics as well as nutritional efficiency for the evaluated macronutrients. The Flordaguard cultivar showed greater efficiency in the transport and use of nitrogen (N), and in the use of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), which was reflected in superior growth parameters, suggesting that the cultivar is the most suitable for use in places with restrictions on the availability of these nutrients.

Keywords:

• macronutrients
• plant nutrition
• Prunus persica
• seedling production

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES).