Applying the compositional nutrient diagnosis (CND) to pomegranate (Punica granatum cv. ‘Rabab’) under saline and calcareous soil condition

Abstract

To establish the multivariate compositional nutrient diagnosis (CND) standards, and the nutrient sufficiency range in ‘Rabab’ cultivar pomegranate, the leaf nutrient concentrations and yields of 196 commercial orchards were determined. The orchard’s nutritional status was calculated and evaluated through the CND method and their compatible principal component analysis (PCA). The CND references norms were calculated as V*_N = 2.587 ± 0.103, V*_P = 0.124 ± 0.206, V*_K = 2.232 ± 0.105, V*_Ca = 3.086 ± 0.165, V*_Mg = 1.367 ± 0.108, V*_S = 1.357 ± 0.137, V*_Fe = −1.410 ± 0.324, V*_Mn = −3.165 ± 0.221, V*_Zn = −4.499 ± 0.192, V*_Cu = −5.265 ± 0.225, V*_B = −2.884 ± 0.100, V*_Rd = 6.470 ± 0.075. The corresponding optimum concentration values of nutrients were N = 1.888 ± 0.210, P = 0.164 ± 0.032, K = 1.322 ± 0.163, Ca = 3.511 ± 0.230, Mg = 0.630 ± 0.115, S = 0.649 ± 0.051 in percent and Fe = 333.588 ± 87.009, Mn = 62.647 ± 14.413, Zn = 15.471 ± 3.105, Cu = 8.118 ± 2.288, B = 89.529 ± 5.125 in mg kg⁻¹. According to PCA analysis S, B, Fe and Cu, in the high yielding subpopulation and Ca, B, S and Mg in the low yielding subpopulation had the highest influence on the increment of fruit yield in ‘Rabab’ pomegranate orchards especially under saline and calcareous soil condition.

Keywords:

• mineral nutrition
• nutrient balance
• pomegranate
• yield

Acknowledgments

The authors greatly appreciate the efforts and support of Mr. Kamal Yadalahi as the CEO of the National Union of Horticultural Cooperatives of Iran and Fars Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Authors' contributions

Mohammad Saeed Tadayon contributed to conception or design of the work, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, and drafting the article. Kobra Saghafi contributed to data analysis and interpretation. Sohrab Sadeghi contributed to data collection and data analysis and interpretation.