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Monitoring the nutrient status of citrus orchards is fundamental to ensure optimum fruit yield and quality. In the present study, soil and leaf samples of 20 Valencia Late orange orchards were collected in the Gharb plain of Morocco, the second-largest citrus area in the country. The objective was to assess the status of essential macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) and micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn) in Valencia orange orchards and investigate the relationships between soil properties and nutrient contents in soils and leaves. Soils of the studied orchards had a medium to heavy texture, with low to moderate levels of organic matter content (6–31 g kg−1). They were also non-saline and mostly alkaline and calcareous. These soils exhibited a wide range of macro- and micronutrients. Suboptimum levels of total N, available Fe, and Cu were observed in most soils. Most of soils had also sufficient levels of available P, Mn, and Zn. All soils were sufficiently supplied with available Ca, Mg, and K. Similarly to soil analysis, leaf analysis indicated the prevalence of adequate to very high levels of P, Ca, Mn, and K. Leaf N and Fe status were below optimum levels in most orchards, which is in line with the observed low levels in soils. Nevertheless, unlike soils, leaves did not show any deficiency of Cu; instead, most orchards had adequate to excessive levels of this micronutrient. Additionally, leaf Mg and Zn status were deficient in most orchards, conversely to that of soils. This discrepancy between soil and leaf analysis was also noted in the lack of correlation we observed between soil nutrients and their respective levels in leaves. Correlation analysis revealed also an antagonistic interaction between K–Mg and Ca–Mg, which explained the widespread suboptimum levels of Mg in leaves despite its sufficient status in soils. Such antagonism was also observed between Fe–Mn. In the case of Cu, we suspect the use of Cu-containing plant protection products to contribute to the high levels in leaves despite its low levels in soils. Overall, our results showed that nutrient imbalances leading to antagonistic interaction heavily impacted nutrient status in our study area. We expect unbalanced fertilization to contribute to this issue. Therefore, fertilization practices should be managed judiciously to maintain an adequate nutrient balance in the soil and trees of citrus orchards and ensure their sustainable production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vale do Ribeira is one of the largest banana producing regions in Brazil. However, information on soil fertility and nutrient status that could limit fruit production remains scarce. Thus, the present study diagnosed the most limiting nutrient parameters for the Nanica and Prata banana cultivars, in Vale do Ribeira, São Paulo State, based on soil and leaf chemical analyses. The data assessed included samples from commercial plantations in the municipalities of Eldorado, Cajati, Jacupiranga, Pariquera-açú, Registro and Sete Barras, between 2012 and 2020. The results of soil (pH, V, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) and leaf chemical analyses (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) were interpreted according to literature values and their maximums, minimums, means, coefficients of variation (CV), and confidence intervals (CI) were calculated at P < 0.05. Parameter classes were assessed according to their frequency distribution. A large part of the samples exhibited pH and V values similar to those recommended for banana plants. Although, average soil nutrient concentrations were considered high, soil K, Mg and S levels did not provide adequate banana plant nutrition, since these nutrients were deficient in the plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The district Toba Tek Singh is located in the center of Punjab province. It occupies 2nd important position in national citrus production after Sargodha, with citrus orchard area of 11412 hectares and annual production of 160758 tons. Citrus productivity in Pakistan, in general, and Toba Tek Singh, in particular, is far below its its potential which could be attributed to several factors but poor soil health and inadequate soil fertility may be considered an important reason. A comprehensive nutrient indexing survey of thirty citrus orchards grown in different parts of district Toba Tek Singh was conducted to evaluate the soil characteristics and plant nutrient status. GPS coordinates of selected sites were recorded prior to sampling. Soil samples were coll ected at 0-20 cm, 21-40 cm and 41-60 cm depth using standard procedure. Five soil samples were collected from each site to get a composite sample for each depth. The leaf samples were collected from the 7-month-old non-fruiting branches of plants around the tree canopy during the month of September, 2022. Five healthy and uniform citrus trees were sampled from each site to get a composite leaf sample. The soil samples were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic matter (SOM) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The soil and leaf samples were analyzed for macro and micronutrients. It was found that most of orchard soils of district Toba Tek Singh were moderately alkaline (pH 7.52-8.90), slight to strong calcareous (2-15% CaCO3), non-saline (0.77-3.0 dS m-1 EC) and low in SOM (0.23-1.49%) with low to medium nitrogen (0.01-0.06%) and phosphorus (0.58-10.52 mg kg-1) while medium to high potassium (56.47-315.34 mg kg-1). The sampled soils were low to marginal in boron (0.09-0.72 mg kg-1), copper (0.05-0.59 mg kg-1), iron (0.23-10.75 mg kg-1) and zinc (0.03-1.83 mg kg-1) while adequate in manganese (1.35-26.20 mg kg-1). Leaf analysis revealed that almost 50% orchards were deficient in phosphorus (0.05-0.23%) and potassium (0.40-1.76%), while having low to marginal values of copper (1.96-20.99 mg kg-1), zinc (4.13-31.96 mg kg-1), boron (3.12-95.40 mg kg-1), manganese (42.62- 96.46 mg kg-1) but adequate iron (171-552 mg kg-1). The surveyed orchard soils were mostly alkaline calcareous, deficient in organic matter and having low to moderate macro and micronutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inconsistent results on the effects of humic substances (HS) on yield and nutrient status of important food crops, including oilseeds, confirm the need for further research on different HS products to match their use to actual field conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of foliar application of commercially produced peat- and vermicompost-derived HS preparations on nutrient status and yield of spring oilseed rape (Brassica napus). The field experiment was carried out in Stende State Cereals Breeding Institute, Latvia, during the vegetation season of 2012, using the spring oilseed rape cultivar 'Perfect'. Although foliar sprays of HS were applied during the critical stages of crop development from rapid growth to flowering, they were ineffective in improving the supply of the deficient nutrients (N, K, B, Zn, Cu) in leaves. Moreover, both tested HS products caused a decrease in Cu and B content in the seeds, which resulted in a negative trend in oilseed rape seed yield. Therefore, the conducted experiment demonstrated that foliar application of both HS preparations was ineffective to promote nutrient status and did not contribute to spring oilseed rape yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer vision is a powerful technology that has enabled solutions in various fields by analyzing visual attributes of images. One field that has taken advantage of computer vision is agricultural automation, which promotes high-quality crop production. The nutritional status of a crop is a crucial factor for determining its productivity. This status is mediated by approximately 14 chemical elements acquired by the plant, and their determination plays a pivotal role in farm management. To address the timely identification of nutritional disorders, this study focuses on the classification of three levels of phosphorus deficiencies through individual leaf analysis. The methodological steps include: (1) using different capture devices to generate a database of images composed of laboratory-grown maize plants that were induced to either total phosphorus deficiency, medium deficiency, or total nutrition; (2) processing the images with state-of-the-art transfer learning architectures (i.e., VGG16, ResNet50, GoogLeNet, DenseNet201, and MobileNetV2); and (3) evaluating the classification performance of the models using the created database. The results show that the DenseNet201 model achieves superior performance, with 96 % classification accuracy. However, the other studied architectures also demonstrate competitive performance and are considered state-of-the-art automatic leaf nutrition deficiency detection tools. The proposed method can be a starting point to fine-tune machine-vision-based solutions tailored for real-time monitoring of crop nutritional status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertilizations is one the efforts done to increase the production and quality of crops. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers rate used in the production of Onion are excessive, so the essential elements present in the soil can be imbalanced ,nutrient balance determines crop yield and quality. This research aimed to evaluate Onion productivity subjected to various ratios of(NPK) to establish the DRIS-Norms and indexes, by using leaf nutrient analysis. The Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System-DRIS depended on interrelation between elements, compares crop mineral nutrient proportions with DRIS-norms (Optimal values) and we can know imbalances, deficiencies and excesses in nutrient of plants .The research was conducted in the experimental farm of college of agriculture ,university of Salahaddin in Grdarash field Erbil-Iraq,3.5Km to the south of Erbil city, (36° ON, 44° 01 E), (0411359, 03997002 UTM) ,planting date 30/1/2020 and harvesting at 30/6/2020 so the research period 5 months. We used spilt – spilt design in the experiment, first factor was Nitrogen (0, 40, 80, 160 Kg.ha-1), second factor was Phosphorus (0, 80, 160 Kg.ha-1) and the third factor was Potassium (0, 50, 100 Kg .ha-1) .The results indicated that the best fertilizer combinations that recorded highest Onion-Yield (18.36 Mg. ha-1) was(K 50 Kg. ha-1, P 160 Kg. ha-1, N 40 Kg. ha-1) which had lowest Nutrient Balance Index-(NBI), its values was (9.04) but the highest value was (73.18) for (K0P0N0) treatment.

The Compositional Nutrients Diagnosis (CND) can establish indexes that establish deficiency, normality or excess, and even critical levels (CL) or sufficiency ranges (SR) in grapevine leaves. However, this information is scarce in 'White Moscato' and 'Bordeaux' cultivars cultivated in subtropical regions of the world. The study aimed to propose the CND, CL and SR indexes of nutrients in leaves of 'Bordeaux' and 'White Moscato' grapevine cultivars, cultivated in subtropical conditions. Leaves were collected from 105 'White Moscato' and 'Bordeaux' vineyards. Leaves were prepared, dried, ground and subjected to chemical nutrient analysis. Productivity was evaluated. The nutritional status of the grapevine was calculated using the CND method. The CND-r² indexes were effective in establishing the nutritional status of 'White Moscato' and 'Bordeaux' grapevines, in relation to the concentration of nutrients in leaves of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn in deficient, adequate and excessive concentrations. The application of the CND method in the grapevine database showed lower SRs for macronutrients N, K, Ca, Mg and S, and the breadth of the nutritional range for nutrients N, K, Mg, and Fe was smaller than reported in literature. The CND methodology established the critical level and nutrient sufficiency ranges suitable under current grapevine production conditions. Multi-nutrient combinations were more effective than the analysis of a single nutrient in expressing that the limitation of a certain element can reduce the productivity of the grapevines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf analysis is an important tool to assess the nutritional status of coffee crops and allow evaluate and calibrate fertilizers recommendations. For the interpretation of the chemical results obtained by leaf analysis, several methods can be used, stands as the Sufficiency Range and the Integrated System of Diagnosis and Recommendation (DRIS). The objective of this work was to evaluate the nutritional status of coffee crops in production from Manhuaçu region, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. A database was generated with nutrient concentrations from index leaves of commercial fields located in the region of Manhuaçu. Some parameters of descriptive statistics were used to describe the leaves concentrations (mean, maximum value, minimum value, and coefficient of variation). The nutritional status of the plants was evaluated by the Sufficiency range and DRIS methods. Nutritional imbalances may be one of the factors responsible for low yields over years. The program of fertilizations must be reviewed in the Manhuaçu region, once N and K are in excess and P and S deficient in coffee fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genus Eucalyptus can be grown in different soils worldwide, although it is not always ready to fulfill plants' nutrient demands. Whenever such nutrient shortage happens, it is necessary applying the nutrients missing, which can be established based on the critical levels and sufficiency ranges (SRs) of nutrients in leaves or by multivariate mathematical models, such as the composition nutrient diagnosis (CND). This study aimed to investigate the nutritional status of Eucalyptus plantations in Brazil, based on the CND method. A total of 119 12-month-old Eucalyptus saligna (E. saligna) plantations were sampled in the Rio Grande do Sul State (RS), Southern Brazil. Nutrient concentration in leaves and the diameter at breast height (DBH) was measured. The E. saligna nutritional status was calculated through the CND method. High- and low-yield populations were set based on DBH of 4.2 cm. The SRs proposed by the CND method were narrower than the ones proposed by official recommendations for Eucalyptus, especially for magnesium (Mg), boron (B), and iron (Fe). The CND-r2 index recorded for each nutrient generated a limitation order for nutrients. The greater accuracy of the recommendations proposed by the CND method, compared with univariate and bivariate methods, contribute to reducing the use of fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The present study was carried out to evaluate the leaf nutrient status of commercially grown strawberries in Latvia during 2014–2022. The results of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo and B in 200 strawberry leaf samples from different strawberry-producing farms were analysed over three periods: 2014–2016, 2017–2019, and 2020–2022. According to leaf analyses, plant fertilization was only partly well managed by the growers. During the research period, strawberries in Latvia were generally sufficiently supplied with N, P, K, Mg, Fe, Mn, Mo, and B, while the level of Ca, S, Zn, and Cu was considered low. The deficiency of these nutrients was characteristic for more than 50% of the samples. Since Ca, S, Zn, and Cu are essential for berry formation and quality and contribute to stress resistance; their deficiency could be one of the limiting factors for strawberry yield. The significant positive correlations found between nutrients, including deficient ones, confirmed their close relationship in the uptake process and the importance of sufficient supply. The results clearly indicated that fertilization could currently be an issue that limits the strawberry harvest in Latvia, and adequate provisions of Ca, S, Zn, and B should be the main focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf analysis is essential for diagnosing nutritional status and guiding fertilizer application. The present study aimed to investigate the appropriate time for leaf sampling and the effect of genotype on olive nutrition. We determined leaf nutrient concentrations of calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) in five Greek (‘Amfissis’, ‘Chondrolia Chalkidikis’, ‘Koroneiki’, ‘Mastoidis’, and ‘Kalamon’) and one Spanish (‘Picual’) variety from May 2019 to April 2020. The concentrations of Ca, Fe, and Mn were significantly affected by genotype and season. The highest concentrations for all nutrients were determined in April, while the lowest were in May, June, and October. Leaf Ca concentration significantly increased progressively from May to September for all the varieties. Leaves of ‘Koroneiki’ had the highest Ca concentration. Iron concentrations were within the sufficiency thresholds for all the varieties during the whole experimental period, and ‘Mastoidis’ showed the highest concentration. Leaf Mn concentration for all the varieties increased from May to September with an instant decrease in June, apart from ‘Amfissis’. The varieties ‘Kalamon’ and ‘Chondrolia Chalkidikis’ were found to be above the Mn sufficiency threshold throughout the year. Variations among season and genotype depict the complexity of nutrient transportation in leaf tissues.

Analysis of composite pecan leaf samples typically used to determine need for nutrient applications does not account for variability among trees in the sampled area. To account for this unmeasured variability, pecan orchard block nutrient standards are greater than actual single tree nutrient requirements. In 2018 and 2019, we measured variability in a pecan orchard block by evaluating nutrient status of all trees in a study area consisting of two cultivars (Wichita and Western) grafted on open-pollinated ‘Ideal’ seedlings. Foliar zinc (Zn) coefficient of variation (cv) ranged from 0.186 to 0.255 within individual cultivars and years but was as high as 0.30 when combining cultivars within a year. The ‘Western’ cultivar had higher foliar Zn concentrations than ‘Wichita’, but Zn concentrations were not consistently associated with other leaf nutrient levels, soil Zn status, or other soil properties. Using observed foliar Zn variability, we determined that it is necessary to sample 35 trees for a composite sample to achieve a relative margin of error of 10% and 95% confidence level in a pecan orchard block with more than 1000 trees. We developed field scale foliar Zn recommendations based on individual tree research that indicates a minimum acceptable leaf Zn concentration of ≈15 mg·kg–1 is needed to maintain optimal photosynthetic function in Zn chelate fertigated pecan trees. Assuming a Zn cv of 0.30 and a composite sample comprised of leaves from 35 trees, the minimum acceptable orchard block Zn level to ensure that less than 5% of trees had suboptimal levels of Zn was 27.6 mg·kg–1. An orchard block Zn level below 23.4 mg·kg–1 indicates that more than 5% of trees in the block had suboptimal foliar Zn concentrations.

The foliar analysis is a useful tool to detect the nutritional status of plants, predict future problems in the reproductive cycles of fruit production and implement preventive and corrective measures to achieve a mineral balance in fruit trees, obtaining higher productivity. There is little information available on nutrient sufficiency ranges in pomegranate leaf and the literature reported differs due to diverse cultivation practices, cultivars, and agroecological conditions. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine the mineral content of ‘Wonderful’ pomegranate leaves for each the nutritional elements and the cation balance, and to establish the nutritional standards using Integrated Differential Diagnosis (IDD). The mineral content of the pomegranate leaves was determined and based on the results, nutritional standards for macro elements, cation balance and microelements were generated through the IDD, which evaluate whether there are mineral and/or physiological imbalances. The macro elements in the cultivation of the pomegranate were the following: NO3 3747.5 µg g-1, Total Nitrogen 1.35%, P 0.14%, K 0.88%, Ca 1.65%, Mg 0.19%, Na 0.006%. For the cation balance, the optimal values ​​were: (Ca+Mg)/K 4.48 mEq 100 g-1, Ca/(K+Mg) 2.13 mEq 100 g-1, Mg/(K+Ca) 0.16 mEq 100 g-1, Ca/Mg 5.06 mEq 100 g-1, K/Mg 1.36 mEq 100 g-1. Finally, the optimal values ​​for the microelements were: Fe 59.5 µg g-1, Mn 31.4 µg g-1, Zn 6.3 µg g-1, Cu 6.1 µg g-1. The values ​​obtained for the micro and macro elements were like those reported. In the case of cation balance and foliar nitrate content, they have not been previously reported. The IDD is a promising and effective auxiliary tool to characterize the nutritional status of pomegranate trees and, in turn, an alternative to conventional methods of nutritional diagnosis with the advantage of establishing a nutritional deficiency (soil-plant relationship) or a physiological imbalance (relation plant - climate) for this crop.

The foliar analysis is a useful tool to detect the nutritional status of plants, predict future problems in the reproductive cycles of fruit production and implement preventive and corrective measures to achieve a mineral balance in fruit trees, obtaining higher productivity. There is little information available on nutrient sufficiency ranges in pomegranate leaf and the literature reported differs due to diverse cultivation practices, cultivars, and agroecological conditions. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine the mineral content of 'Wonderful' pomegranate leaves for each the nutritional elements and the cation balance, and to establish the nutritional standards using Integrated Differential Diagnosis (IDD). The mineral content of the pomegranate leaves was determined and based on the results, nutritional standards for macro elements, cation balance and microelements were generated through the IDD, which evaluate whether there are mineral and/or physiological imbalances. The macro elements in the cultivation of the pomegranate were the following: NO3 3747.5 µg g-1, Total Nitrogen 1.35%, P 0.14%, K 0.88%, Ca 1.65%, Mg 0.19%, Na 0.006%. For the cation balance, the optimal values were: (Ca+Mg)/K 4.48 mEq 100 g-1, Ca/(K+Mg) 2.13 mEq 100 g-1, Mg/(K+Ca) 0.16 mEq 100 g-1, Ca/Mg 5.06 mEq 100 g-1, K/Mg 1.36 mEq 100 g-1. Finally, the optimal values for the microelements were: Fe 59.5 µg g-1, Mn 31.4 µg g-1, Zn 6.3 µg g-1, Cu 6.1 µg g-1. The values obtained for the micro and macro elements were like those reported. In the case of cation balance and foliar nitrate content, they have not been previously reported. The IDD is a promising and effective auxiliary tool to characterize the nutritional status of pomegranate trees and, in turn, an alternative to conventional methods of nutritional diagnosis with the advantage of establishing a nutritional deficiency (soil-plant relationship) or a physiological imbalance (relation plant - climate) for this crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correct nutrition of orchards from fertilizer management directly influences fruit yield. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the nutritional status of orchards of the ‘Montenegrina’ mandarin (Citrus deliciosa Tenore) grafted on Poncirus trifoliata Raf. in southern Brazil. The study included analyzes of soil and leaf tissue from 58 commercial orchards. More than 60% of the orchards were diagnosed with K and Mg insufficiency and more than 30% had an excess of N. There was an insufficiency in Mn and Zn of 60 and 96%, respectively, despite the levels of these micronutrients in the soil being high in both depths studied. In addition, no significant correlations were observed between the contents of a given nutrient in the soil and in the leaves, except for the Ca/Mg ratio. Insufficiency was observed in the leaf contents of K, Mg, Mn and Zn and excesses of N and Cu in the orchards. The use of phosphate and potassium fertilizers requires adjustments due to the excessive content of these nutrients in the soil. Pre-planting acidity correction and soil acidity management in ‘Montenegrina’ mandarin orchards already implanted needs to be optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Evaluate the nutrient concentration at the foliar level of chrysanthemums grown in tezontle sand using three concentrations of the Steiner Universal Nutrient Solution. Design/Methodology/Approach: A completely randomized design was used, each treatment represented a concentration of the nutrient solution and each concentration had 11 repetitions, the study variables were: foliar concentration of nutrients: N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S, plant height (AP), stem diameter (DT), number of leaves (NH), flower diameter (DF), fresh weight (PF) and dry weight (PS). Results: The results showed this order of extraction K>N>Ca>P>Mg>S, for all concentrations, the foliar N content was low in the three treatments (<3.35%), the P was found in high concentrations. (<0.63%), K was higher in the 100% concentration treatment, Mg (>0.44%) was in sufficient levels, in Ca the 100% concentration had greater absorption and finally the S content was only the adequate in the concentration of 100%, in the morphological variables there were no significant differences. Limitations of the study/Implications: High temperatures helped the proliferation of pests; therefore, it would be good to have a better control of temperatures inside the greenhouse. Findings/Conclusions: Therefore, using different concentrations of the nutrient solution in chrysanthemums grown in tezontle sand affects the nutrient content at the foliar level but not necessarily its morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This publication is intended primarily for Florida sugarcane growers, but it may also be useful to researchers and others interested in sugarcane nutrition. It presents potassium fertilizer recommendations for Florida mineral soils and supporting information. Written by J. Mabry McCray, and published by the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department, September 2022.

Monitoring the nutritional status of the soybean crop, based on nutrient levels in the third trefoil with petiole, can help improve fertilization. The objective of this work was to determine the reference values of macro and micronutrient contents, to evaluate the nutritional status of soybean crops, regarding the degree of balance and to obtain the potential response to fertilization for nutrients. The work was carried out based on a database of foliar nutrient contents and grain yield of soybean crops in Mato Grosso, Campo Novo dos Parecis region, covering different agricultural years, cultivars, soil textures and times of use of the area. with the soybean crop. They were obtained from useful reference values for the evaluation of the nutritional status of soybean crops, regarding the degree of balance, plus limits of nutrient content in the normal range, according to the balance by the Kenworthy method. In low-yield soybean crops in the region studied, on average, for macronutrients, 69.7% of crops are in the normal class, while for micronutrients this percentage is lower, 60.9%. N is the nutrient most found in crops (83.2%), while Cu (49.8%) is the least found in the normal class. Of the low productivity soybean crops studied in this work, 78.3% have adequate nutritional balance. Mg, P and Ca and Cu, Mn and Zn are those for which there are greater expectations of crop productivity gains, in response to fertilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf analysis is essential for diagnosing nutritional status and guiding fertilizer application. The present study aimed to investigate the appropriate time for leaf sampling and the effect of genotype on olive nutrition. We determined leaf nutrient concentrations of calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) in five Greek (‘Amfissis’, ‘Chondrolia Chalkidikis’, ‘Koroneiki’, ‘Mastoidis’, and ‘Kalamon’) and one Spanish (‘Picual’) variety from May 2019 to April 2020. The concentrations of Ca, Fe, and Mn were significantly affected by genotype and season. The highest concentrations for all nutrients were determined in April, while the lowest were in May, June, and October. Leaf Ca concentration significantly increased progressively from May to September for all the varieties. Leaves of ‘Koroneiki’ had the highest Ca concentration. Iron concentrations were within the sufficiency thresholds for all the varieties during the whole experimental period, and ‘Mastoidis’ showed the highest concentration. Leaf Mn concentration for all the varieties increased from May to September with an instant decrease in June, apart from ‘Amfissis’. The varieties ‘Kalamon’ and ‘Chondrolia Chalkidikis’ were found to be above the Mn sufficiency threshold throughout the year. Variations among season and genotype depict the complexity of nutrient transportation in leaf tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of composite pecan leaf samples typically used to determine need for nutrient applications does not account for variability among trees in the sampled area. To account for this unmeasured variability, pecan orchard block nutrient standards are greater than actual single tree nutrient requirements. In 2018 and 2019, we measured variability in a pecan orchard block by evaluating nutrient status of all trees in a study area consisting of two cultivars (Wichita and Western) grafted on open-pollinated ‘Ideal’ seedlings. Foliar zinc (Zn) coefficient of variation (CV) ranged from 0.186 to 0.255 within individual cultivars and years but was as high as 0.30 when combining cultivars within a year. The ‘Western’ cultivar had higher foliar Zn concentrations than ‘Wichita’, but Zn concentrations were not consistently associated with other leaf nutrient levels, soil Zn status, or other soil properties. Using observed foliar Zn variability, we determined that it is necessary to sample 35 trees for a composite sample to achieve a relative margin of error of 10% and 95% confidence level in a pecan orchard block with more than 1000 trees. We developed field scale foliar Zn recommendations based on individual tree research that indicates a minimum acceptable leaf Zn concentration of ≈15 mg·kg–1 is needed to maintain optimal photosynthetic function in Zn chelate fertigated pecan trees. Assuming a Zn CV of 0.30 and a composite sample comprised of leaves from 35 trees, the minimum acceptable orchard block Zn level to ensure that less than 5% of trees had suboptimal levels of Zn was 27.6 mg·kg–1 . An orchard block Zn level below 23.4 mg·kg–1 indicates that more than 5% of trees in the block had suboptimal foliar Zn concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cacao crop is under pressure due to the high global consumption of this commodity, a fact that exposes the great need of technical precision for nutritional diagnosis and fertilizer recommendation in the plantations. The objective of this work is to review and to use the available information in the literature and the opinion of the cacao crop experts to establish the Wymore's standardized scoring functions (SSFs) for the main macro and micronutrients in cacao leaves. The critical limits of the SFF of the optimum type were defined for the mineral nutrients N, K, P, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Zn, Cu, B and Mo, and the SFF "more is better" type was applied for Mn. This SFFs can be used to know the individual status of each nutrient or incorporate linear combination models applied to a system for foliar nutritional diagnosis of the cacao crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micronutrient imbalance in lime and sapota fruit crops result in unstable fruit yield, fruit shedding and degrade quality of the produce. A study was therefore conducted to evaluate micronutrient statusoflime and sapota orchard by analysing soil and plant samples. Soil samples were collected from surface (0-15cm) and sub-surface (15-30cm) depth representing whole orchard. At the same time, plant samples including 35-40 each for leaves and petiole samples each from lime and sapota field was also collected. Available micronutrients from soil samples were extracted using diethylenetriaminepenta acetic acid (DTPA) and it was in the order of manganese (Mn)> iron (Fe)> zinc (Zn)> copper (Cu) in both lime and sapota plantations. DTPA- extractable Zn and Cu showed low status, marginal status of Fe and sufficient level of Mn in soils of sapota plantations. In plant analysis, high concentration of Cu (869 mg kg-1) and Zn (411mg kg-1) was observed in lime leaves; however, in sapota crop Cu and Zn content was 8.25mg kg-1 and 16.7mg kg- 1 respectively. Similarly, Fe and Mn content of lime leaves was 197 and 43 mg kg-1 which was slightly higher than sapota leaves that recorded 128 and 49mg kg-1 of Fe and Zn respectively. In sapota plants, higher Mn and Cu concentration in leaf resulted in Zn deficiency symptoms such as shortened internodes or rosette disorders of sapota plants. Thus, correcting micronutrient deficiency is pre-requisite for qualitative and quantitative fruit production in tablelands of India.

The metallurgical industries generate large amount of solid waste, which can cause negative environmental impacts. The objective of this study was to characterize the metal levels present in the leaves of Brachiaria decumbens and to identify the invasive plants in the area of ​​the old zinc metallurgy tailings deposit. The area selected was from an old waste dump called Area PH9. The area has 14.4 ha and is located in the municipality of Três Marias - MG. Soil samples were collected using two - way walk, north - south and east - west, totaling 29 georeferenced and distanced sampling points every 20 meters. At each point, the leaf was collected and placed in paper bags and taken to the Unimontes Laboratory, Campus Janaúba - MG. Where nitro perchloric digestion was performed and later all samples were transported to the Laboratory of UFMG - Campus Belo Horizonte for the analysis at ICP-OS. The statistical method used was the descriptive statistical analysis, observing the values ​​of the elements of each soil sampling point, highlighting the maximum, average, minimum and total values. Brachiaria decumbens plants presented high levels of calcium, magnesium and iron in the leaves. Zinc contents were below ideal for Brachiaria decumbens plants. Nine shrub invasive species were identified in the area, making up a total of six families, with Graminea being the main one.

The rootstock is an essential element for orchard management, influencing scion growth, nutrient concentration, and fruit quality. Seasonal variations in leaf nutrients of ‘UFSun’ grafted on five different rootstocks (‘Flordaguard’, ‘Barton’, ‘MP-29’, ‘P-22’, and ‘Okinawa’) were investigated during the 2017–18 growing season in Citra, FL. There was no significant variation in the macronutrient concentrations (N, P, K, Mg, Ca, and S) among different rootstocks; however, ‘UFSun’ on ‘Okinawa’ and ‘Flordaguard’ showed greater concentrations of Ca, K, and Mg concentration than other rootstocks. In contrast, ‘Flordaguard’ showed less potential to accumulate P as compared with other rootstocks. The Ca concentration was lowest in ‘MP-29’ and ‘Barton’ in April and June. The concentration of macronutrients (N, P, K, Mg, Ca, and S) in leaves was greater in April and October than in December and June. With respect to rootstocks, macronutrients in December and June were the highest in ‘Okinawa’ and the lowest in ‘Barton’. In April, the lowest concentration of macronutrient was recorded in ‘Barton’, whereas the highest concentrations were found in ‘P-22’, ‘Okinawa’, and ‘Flordaguard’. The highest leaf micronutrient concentrations were found in ‘MP-29’ and ‘Barton’, and the lowest in ‘Okinawa’ and ‘Flordaguard’ in June and October. For all rootstocks, concentrations of micronutrients increased between leaf growth in April and senescence in October. The micronutrient concentrations of leaves decreased during December. The widest dynamic changes during the vegetative cycle were found on ‘P-22’. Seasonal trends were more consistent for micronutrients than for macronutrients.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the leaf nutrient status of commercially grown strawberries in Latvia during 2014–2022. The results of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo and B in 200 strawberry leaf samples from different strawberry-producing farms were analysed over three periods: 2014–2016, 2017–2019, and 2020–2022. According to leaf analyses, plant fertilization was only partly well managed by the growers. During the research period, strawberries in Latvia were generally sufficiently supplied with N, P, K, Mg, Fe, Mn, Mo, and B, while the level of Ca, S, Zn, and Cu was considered low. The deficiency of these nutrients was characteristic for more than 50% of the samples. Since Ca, S, Zn, and Cu are essential for berry formation and quality and contribute to stress resistance; their deficiency could be one of the limiting factors for strawberry yield. The significant positive correlations found between nutrients, including deficient ones, confirmed their close relationship in the uptake process and the importance of sufficient supply. The results clearly indicated that fertilization could currently be an issue that limits the strawberry harvest in Latvia, and adequate provisions of Ca, S, Zn, and B should be the main focus.

Oil palm fertilizer requirements are based on leaflet mineral concentrations. Four oil palm progenies representing a wide genetic diversity of Elaeis guineensis species and with contrasting K and Mg leaflet concentrations were tested in Indonesia and Nigeria, environments which differ predominantly in climate. During 5 years, we compared oil palm progenies' leaflet mineral concentrations between both countries under abundant fertilizer applications to investigate the extent to which they depend on the environment. In the two studied environments, leaflet concentrations significantly differed between progenies for K, Mg and Ca, but the country effect was not found significant (p = 0.352) for any leaflet mineral's concentration. In both countries, progenies ranked similarly in their mineral categories (lowest and highest cation concentrations within the 4 progenies population), indicating that leaflet mineral concentrations in the tested oil palm progenies are mainly determined by their genetic background. For each progeny, with abundant fertilization, K, Mg and Ca proportions to total leaf cation charge (TLCC) were similar, irrespective of the environments in which the palms were cultivated. We have strong indications that foliar concentrations of K, Mg and Ca are determined by genetic factors which dominate the environmental effect. However, it remains uncertain whether differences in oil palm foliar concentrations between different oil palm progenies imply that they require specific fertilizer amounts to attain an optimal production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowing the spatial distribution of nutritional status allows us to understand plants' metabolic requirements and identify zones for differentiated management. Thus, the objective of this work was to use the fuzzy classification to standardize the values of macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S) to construct the map of the average spatial distribution of nutritional status for Coffea canephora. A sample mesh of 80 georeferenced points was constructed to collect the leaves. A fuzzy controller, the Mamdani method, was used as linguistic variables the ranges of nutritional sufficiency: low, adequate, and high and the rules of inference. Geostatistical analysis was used to define semivariograms and perform interpolation by kriging and cokriging, having as covariates the fuzzy indexes for each macronutrient. The percentage of agreement between the maps was determined by correlation coefficients, confidence indexes, and the RMSE. The estimated maps for the macronutrients constructed by cokriging compared with the observed maps constructed by kriging presented spatial correlation coefficients (rco) from 0.81 to 0.97, concordance indexes from 0.84 to 0.97 and confidence from 0.68 to 0.91 and RMSE from 0.01 to 0.23, showing high percentage of agreement between the maps in the use of fuzzy indexes as covariate of cokriging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hop cultivation requires an abundant quantity of nutrients to reach higher cone yield and quality. The aim of this work was the evaluation of different fertilization plans to obtain an improvement in product quality. Methods: Foliar analysis, anatomical analysis through the use of light microscope and SEM; physiological measurements through atLEAF, Handy PEA and spectrophotometry, were carried out to determine chlorophyll content, carotenoids and photosynthetic efficiency in two periods (t1, t2) for four experimental treatments and a Control (Treat 1, Treat 2, Treat 3, Treat 4, Untreat). Leaf texture (texture analyzer), color (colorimeter), DPPH activity (spectrophotometer), bitter acid content (HPLC-UV) and essential oil yields (steam distillation) and cone yields were measured. Results: Treat 2 showed the best performance: (i) in leaves, in terms of texture, chlorophyll content and color; (ii) in cones, with 6.98% of alpha acids, 1.78% of oil yield and 3.55 kg of fresh cones per plants. Conclusion: The fertilization plans caused alteration in micro and macro elements content in hop leaves and in the composition of hop cones. In our conditions, the best fertilization plan, in terms of cone productivity and quality, was Treat 2, highlighting the value of a customized organic foliar fertilization plan for hop cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, positive and/or negative effects of different N, P, and K doses on nutrient uptake of 0900 Ziraat sweet cherry cultivar grafted on Gisela-5 rootstock was investigated. Different N (0, 50, 125, and 250 g N tree−1), P (0, 25 (10.9 P), 50 (21.8 P), and 75 (32.7 P) g P2O5 tree−1), K (0, 50 (41.5 K), 125 (103.7 K), and 250 (207.5 K) g K2O tree−1) doses were applied to cherry trees. Experiments were conducted in randomized complete blocks design with six replicates. Macro and micronutrients were provided at the same rate in all treatments. To determine the effects of treatments, leaf samples were collected 65–70 days after full bloom, and samples were analyzed for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, and B concentrations. N fertilization had positive effects on leaf N and Mn concentrations, but decreased leaf P, K, and B concentrations. P fertilization did not have any significant effects on uptake of any elements including P. K fertilization decreases leaf Ca, Mg, and Mn concentrations. Present findings revealed that increasing rates of N and K fertilizers hindered the uptake of some nutrients; therefore, attention should be paid while fertilizing with these elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: The chemical analysis of flowers has been studied for some crops. In coffee trees, the flower tissue analysis could anticipate the nutritional diagnosis. This study aimed to: (i) compare the mineral composition of coffee flowers and leaves; and to (ii) generate reference values for nutritional diagnosis of coffee trees, based on flower and leaf analysis. Nutrient content of flowers and leaves and coffee productivity were evaluated in 26 commercial farms located in Manhuaçu, MG, Brazil throughout three years. The critical nutrient content range in flowers are respectively: 2.78 - 3.17, 0.23 - 0.28, 2.80 - 3.12, 0.30 - 0.37, 0.24 - 0.30, 0.15 - 0.18 dag kg-1 of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S; and 17 - 21, 12 - 18, 52 - 80, 26 - 43, and 28 - 48 mg kg-1 of Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, and B. For leaves, the critical nutrient ranges are respectively: 2.63 - 2.86, 0.13 - 0.14, 2.13 - 2.33, 1.04 - 1.22, 0.27 - 0.33, 0.15 - 0.18 dag kg-1 of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S; and 9 - 14, 15 - 23, 80 - 115, 99 - 148, and 31 - 37 mg kg-1 of Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, and B. The nutritional diagnosis of coffee trees for N, P, Ca, Fe, Cu, and Mn can be anticipated using flower analysis.

The aim of the study was to estimate the effect of' tree pruning intensity on the content of nutrients in leaves of the ‘Łutówka’ sour cherry cultivar (Prunus cerasus L.). Between 2006 and 2010 an experiment with different tree pruning intensity was carried out. The study material consisted of first- class one-year old budded plants of the ‘Łutówka’ cultivar IR2 type, on Prunus mahaleb rootstock. The plants were planted in the spring of 2001 (orchard 1) and 2002 (orchard 2) and spaced at 4.0 × 1.3 m2, giving a total of 1.920 trees ha−1. Three pruning regimes were applied in the plantation: 1) no pruning; (only sanitation felling was applied), 2) moderate traditional pruning - branches were shortened, 3) intensive pruning by removing branches older than three years. The cherry tree pruning intensity significantly influenced the content of mineral components in leaves. The content of N increased, whereas the content of Ca and Mg decreased. The maximum temperatures at the beginning of the growth period had particularly beneficial effect on the P and K content. Chilly and dry spring limited the P and K content in the plants. The content of minerals in sour cherry leaves depended on the age of trees.

Our study examined whether the nutrient content analysis of soybean seed could be used to assess the plant nutritional status, generating results as or more accurate than those obtained by leaf analysis. We hypothesized that soybean nutritional assessment could be carried out using seeds as a reference. Nutritional diagnosis in soybean leaves and seeds was assessed using the Mathematical Chance (MCh), Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS), and Compositional Nutrient Diagnosis (CND) methods. Results showed that optimal nutrient levels in soybean leaves and seeds estimated by DRIS and CND were equal or close to the average content in the reference population, while slightly different values were obtained by MCh method. Nutrient average contents were larger for soybean seeds than for leaves for nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and zinc; and lower for potassium, calcium, magnesium, boron, copper, iron, and manganese. The ranges of optimum levels obtained for seed nutrient content showed normality in results for the three studied methods (MCh, DRIS, and CND). This indicates that using seeds as a diagnostic tissue for assessing soybean nutritional status is promising. Optimal nutrients levels in soybean seeds estimated mainly by the CND and DRIS methods could help to monitor soybean nutritional status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foliar analysis is an effective method to diagnose the nutritional status of plants. However, the mineral concentration in foliar tissue has traditionally been evaluated by assessing the activity of each element, without considering the interactions between them. To address this, dual interactions were calculated using the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) to identify which crop nutrients are most influential in nutrient imbalances and which are the most limiting nutrients for the nutritional status of banana crops in Ecuador. To achieve this, a regional survey of the nutritional status and its productivity levels was conducted for 188 different sites during the crop season in 2017–2018, involving banana cultivars 'Vallery' and 'Williams', from the Cavendish subgroup. The DRIS calculation method was combined with Beaufils and Jones functions. From the initial 188 foliar samples, 83 samples (representing 44% of the population) were considered to represent the high-yield reference population, with yields of 38–60 t ha−1. The DRIS method defined the mean nutritional balance index, which was not found to be statistically correlated (p > 0.05) with productivity, revealing that there was no significant association with the nutritional status of the plants. Specific DRIS norms were obtained and indicated that deficiencies in K, N, Ca, and Fe, and excesses in Mn, B, Cl, Zn, S, Cu, and Mg were the most limiting nutrients for banana cultivars in the south of Ecuador. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium (K) increase in the soil can affect grape must yield and quality; and consequently, the quality of wine; however, studies in this field approaching altitude soil in Southern Brazil (used for viniculture) are scarce. The aim of the present study is to evaluate yield, critical K level in the leaves and their association with grape must composition in ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ vines subjected to K application in high altitude soil in Southern Brazil. The experiment was performed in a ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ vineyard subjected to the application of different K doses (0, 30 and 60 kg K2O ha-1) in three seasons. Potassium (K) availability in soil and leaves, as well as total soluble solids (TSS), pH, total titratable acidity (TA) content in grape must were evaluated. Potassium fertilizer applications increased K availability in the soil, but its concentration only increased in leaves collected at full bloom in the 2013/2014 season. Potassium applications in the soil did not affect yield, but K concentration increase in the leaves led to increased TSS and pH values in grape must, as well as to TA and tartaric acid decrease, a factor that can impair the quality of wine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field experiments were conducted in Wisconsin for 3 years on irrigated sandy and silt loam soils in an attempt to better calibrate potato phosphorus (P) needs and to determine which of several P fertilizer placements/timings were best for crop yield and quality or could improve P fertilizer use efficiency. In 2 of 3 years at both locations, positive yield and tuber quality responses were seen with phosphate rates ranging from 45 to 200 kg P2O5 ha−1 on the sand and 124 kg > 224 kg P2O5 ha−1 on the silt loam. Row placement improved P fertilizer use efficiency on the sand but not on the silt loam. In-season P applications improved plant P concentrations, but did not always result in tuber yield or quality responses, although this method may be effective as a rescue treatment. Early season (~35 days after emergence, dae) petiole P analysis was useful for predicting P sufficiency with a critical level of 0.35% P. Later sampling (> 50 dae) did not adequately separate responsive from non-responsive treatments. Based on this research, row-placed P at modest rates (about 100 kg P2O5 ha−1) is recommended on sandy soils, whereas on the medium-textured soil all placement/timings performed similarly except the in-season treatment. A higher rate was needed (~160 kg P2O5 ha−1) on this soil to optimize yield and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted to develop indigenous soilless substrate compositions for improved growth, flower yield, stem quality and vase life of cut antirrhinum. Two experiments comprised of seven substrate compositions with variable ratios of saw dust (SD), peanut hulls (PH) and sugarcane pressmud (a by-product of sugar industry, which is rich in nutrients) or coco-coir (CC), rice hulls (RH) and sugarcane pressmud (PM) were used. Seeds were sown in plastic plug trays containing CC, silt (soil extracted from canal) and PM (1:1:1; v/v/v) substrate for seedling development and transplanted at the two to four leaf stage into lily crates with the treatment substrates. Plants grown in substrates containing SD + PH + PM (experiment I) indicated that plants grown in these soilless compositions died before flowering, while those grown in silt (control) performed best. While in experiment II, the highest quality plants were grown in 50% CC + 40% RH +10% PM. Quality was defined as plants with shortest production time (days), tallest plant height (cm), optimal leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD), highest leaf area (cm²), fresh and dry weight (g), longest vase life (days). Substrates containing CC, RH and PM (50% + 40% + 10%; v/v/v) were superior to substrates of SD, PH and PM. For commercial cut ant [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micronutrient imbalance in lime and sapota fruit crops result in unstable fruit yield, fruit shedding and degrade quality of the produce. A study was therefore conducted to evaluate micronutrient statusoflime and sapota orchard by analysing soil and plant samples. Soil samples were collected from surface (0-15cm) and sub-surface (15-30cm)depth representing whole orchard. At the same time, plant samples including 35-40 each for leaves and petiole samples each from lime and sapota field was also collected. Available micronutrients from soil samples were extracted using diethylenetriaminepenta acetic acid (DTPA) and it was in the order of manganese (Mn)> iron (Fe)> zinc (Zn)> copper (Cu) in both lime and sapota plantations. DTPA- extractable Zn and Cu showed low status, marginal status of Fe and sufficient level of Mn in soils of sapota plantations. In plant analysis, high concentration of Cu (869 mg kg-1) and Zn (411mg kg-1) was observed in lime leaves; however, in sapota crop Cu and Zn content was 8.25mg kg-1 and 16.7mg kg- 1 respectively. Similarly, Fe and Mn content of lime leaves was 197 and 43 mg kg-1 which was slightly higher than sapota leaves that recorded 128 and 49mg kg-1 of Fe and Zn respectively. In sapota plants, higher Mn and Cu concentration in leaf resulted in Zn deficiency symptoms such as shortened internodes or rosette disorders of sapota plants. Thus, correcting micronutrient deficiency is pre-requisite for qualitative and quantitative fruit production in tablelands of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of the mineral nutritional status of the cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) is one of the main strategies needed to increase the productivity of cacao beans. The main objective of this work is to verify the linear relationships, bivariate and multivariate analysis between the foliar nutrient concentrations of 48 cropping areas and graphically identifying the consistency of this information. For this study, foliar samples collected from cacao cropping areas, with known productivity of dry cacao beans (kg ha−1 year−1), were analyzed for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu concentrations. The interpretation of the results by the exploratory analysis technique linked to the linear correlation analysis proved to be an essential tool to support nutritional diagnosis systems. The cropping areas with very high productivity equal to or higher than 1600 kg of dry cacao beans ha−1 year−1 were positively correlated with the macronutrients K, Ca, and Mg, and the micronutrients Fe, Mn and Zn. The negative correlation of these same high productivity cropping areas with the concentrations of the N and P macronutrients and with the Cu micronutrient may be a phenomenon related to the high nutritional demand for these nutrients in the productive phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rootstock is an essential element for orchard management, influencing scion growth, nutrient concentration, and fruit quality. Seasonal variations in leaf nutrients of 'UFSun' grafted on five different rootstocks ('Flordaguard', 'Barton', 'MP-29', 'P-22', and 'Okinawa') were investigated during the 2017-18 growing season in Citra, FL. There was no significant variation in the macronutrient concentrations (N, P, K, Mg, Ca, and S) among different rootstocks; however, 'UFSun' on 'Okinawa' and 'Flordaguard' showed greater concentrations of Ca, K, and Mg concentration than other rootstocks. In contrast, 'Flordaguard' showed less potential to accumulate P as compared with other rootstocks. The Ca concentration was lowest in 'MP-29' and 'Barton' in April and June. The concentration of macronutrients (N, P, K, Mg, Ca, and S) in leaves was greater in April and October than in December and June. With respect to rootstocks, macronutrients in December and June were the highest in 'Okinawa' and the lowest in 'Barton'. In April, the lowest concentration of macronutrient was recorded in 'Barton', whereas the highest concentrations were found in 'P-22', 'Okinawa', and 'Flordaguard'. The highest leaf micronutrient concentrations were found in 'MP-29' and 'Barton', and the lowest in 'Okinawa' and 'Flordaguard' in June and October. For all rootstocks, concentrations of micronutrients increased between leaf growth in April and senescence in October. The micronutrient concentrations of leaves decreased during December. The widest dynamic changes during the vegetative cycle were found on 'P-22'. Seasonal trends were more consistent for micronutrients than for macronutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron (B) is a key element for citrus production, especially in tropical regions, where the nutrient availability is commonly low in the soil. In addition, information about doses, fertilizer sources, methods of application, and particularly, differential nutrient demand of scion/rootstock combinations are required for efficient fertilization of commercial groves. In a non-irrigated sweet orange orchard (cv. Natal), grafted onto Rangpur lime, Swingle citrumelo or Sunki mandarin, we studied the application of two sources of B: boric acid (17% B, soluble in water) and ulexite (12% B, partially soluble in water) at four levels of supply (control without B, and soil application of 2, 4 and 6 kg ha−1 yr−1 of B). The experiment was carried out for three years (2004–2006). Boron availability in the soil and concentration in the leaves, as well as the fruit yield and quality of trees were evaluated. Soil B extracted with hot water and total leaf B positively correlated with doses of the nutrient applied to the trees. Levels of B in the soil and in the leaves did not vary with fertilizer sources. Fruit yield of trees grafted onto Rangpur lime and Swingle citrumelo was more responsive to B doses than those grafted onto Sunki mandarin. The maximum fruit yield of trees grafted onto Swingle was obtained with 3.2 kg ha−1 yr−1 of B, and leaf B level of 280 mg kg−1 that point out to a highest demand for B when this combination was compared with other rootstocks. Furthermore, fertilization with B did not affect the quality of fruits, but correlated with B and potassium (K) concentrations in the leaves. These results also support that the current recommendations for levels of B in leaves should be revisited.

Background: Hop cultivation requires an abundant quantity of nutrients to reach higher cone yield and quality. The aim of this work was the evaluation of different fertilization plans to obtain an improvement in product quality. Methods: Foliar analysis, anatomical analysis through the use of light microscope and SEM; physiological measurements through atLEAF, Handy PEA and spectrophotometry, were carried out to determine chlorophyll content, carotenoids and photosynthetic efficiency in two periods (t1, t2) for four experimental treatments and a Control (Treat 1, Treat 2, Treat 3, Treat 4, Untreat). Leaf texture (texture analyzer), color (colorimeter), DPPH activity (spectrophotometer), bitter acid content (HPLC-UV) and essential oil yields (steam distillation) and cone yields were measured. Results: Treat 2 showed the best performance: (i) in leaves, in terms of texture, chlorophyll content and color; (ii) in cones, with 6.98% of alpha acids, 1.78% of oil yield and 3.55 kg of fresh cones per plants. Conclusion: The fertilization plans caused alteration in micro and macro elements content in hop leaves and in the composition of hop cones. In our conditions, the best fertilization plan, in terms of cone productivity and quality, was Treat 2, highlighting the value of a customized organic foliar fertilization plan for hop cultivation.

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can be a faster and more economical alternative to traditional methods for screening varietal mixtures of nursery plants during the propagation process to ensure varietal purity and to avoid errors in the dispatch batches. The global objective of this work was to develop and optimize a NIR spectral collection method for construction of robust multivariate discrimination models. Three different varieties of Prunus dulcis (Avijor , Guara , and Pentacebas) of agricultural interest were used for this study. Sources of variation were investigated, including the position of the leaves on the trees, differences among trees of the same variety, and differences at the varietal level. Three types of processed samples were investigated. Fresh leaves, dried leaves, and dried leaves in powder form were included in each analysis. A study of spectral pre-treatment methods was also performed, and multivariate methods were applied to analyze the influence of different factors on classification. These included principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and ANOVA simultaneous component analysis (ASCA). The results indicated that variety was the most important factor for classification. The spectral pre-treatment that provided the best results was a combination of standard normal variate (SNV), Savitzky-Golay first derivative, and mean-centering methods. With regard to the type of processed sample, the highest percentages of correct classifications were obtained with fresh and dried powdered leaves at both the training set and test set validation levels. This study represents the first step towards the consolidation of NIRS as a method to identify Prunus dulcis varieties. Image 1 • NIRS was used for discriminating between three Prunus dulcis varieties. • Several spectral pre-treatment strategies were investigated. • A combination of SNV, SG first derivative, and mean centering methods was optimal. • Tree variety and leaf age were the most important classification factors for PLS-DA. • NIRS is a rapid and economical method for nursery plant classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Improvement in the cultivation of the species of Justicia to produce herbal medicines. • First report on morphological and anatomical changes in the leaves and stems of the three species of Justicia caused by the cultivation. • Histochemical localization of compounds and verification of the antioxidant activity of these substances. • Report on the chemical composition of Justicia brandegeeana. • Presence of coumarin in Justicia gendarussa. Abstract Morphoanatomical and chemical changes can occur because of biotic and abiotic factors, naturally present in the environment. These changes can result in modifications in the concentrations of secondary metabolites of medicinal species, an essential aspect to produce herbal medicines. Justicia species are used for analgesic and anti-inflammatory purposes and widely used in social programs in the Northeast of Brazil. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate how different growth conditions (greenhouse and field) affect morphoanatomical features, chemical composition and AA of the aerial organs of three economically important species of Justicia (J. brandegeeana , J. gendarussa , and J. pectoralis). The results of morphological evaluations indicate that plants grown in the field developed better than those grown in the greenhouse, which underwent etiolation. Plants grown in the greenhouse had a greater leaf area and reduced mesophyll thickness. In contrast, plants that were grown in the field had greater cuticle and mesophyll thickness, as well as increased collenchyma cell wall thickness of stems and petioles. Plants grown in the field also had a higher stomatal density than plants grown in the greenhouse. Mass spectrometric data revealed a higher overall concentration of phenols and flavonoids, as well as higher AA, in the extracts of the plants grown in the field. Thus, the different growth conditions resulted in anatomical alterations, and changes in the concentrations of some chemical components. The results help to improve the cultivation of these species, as these changes imply in the quality of the final product and the treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to compare the Nitrogen-fertilization methods; Anhydrous ammonia method (M-1), traditional method (M-2), and control method (M-3) and to study the effects on leaf macro-and micro nutrients in the winter wheat plants. The research has been conducted in the ecological conditions of Tekirdag during the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 growing seasons. The experiment has been arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Leaves collected during three different developmental stages (I-II-III periods) of wheat have been tested for macro and micro-nutrient analysis. Results showed that M-1 method has a positive effect on leaf macro and micro nutrients. The highest leaf N content (3.45%, 3.68%) has been detected in the application of anhydrous ammonia in both year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate leaf nutrient status and to establish the rules of the diagnosis and recommendation integrated system (DRIS) in corn for different nitrogen doses and source materials associated with Lithothamnium. The experiment was carried out from December 2010 to February 2012 in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. The experimental design was randomized blocks with split-split plots. The main plot treatments were nitrogen source materials (immediate release and controlled-release urea), the subplot treatments were doses of 60, 100 and 120 kg of N ha-1 and control (without N application), and the sub-sub plots were treatments with or without the use of Lithothamnium. The dose of Lithothamnium corresponded to 20% of the dose of urea. Calculations to establish the diagnosis and recommendation integrated system (DRIS) were made during the experiment. In the high-yield population the treatments with the highest nitrogen dose provided the highest grain yield. The use of the controlled-release source ensured greater nutritional balance of plants. No effect of Lithothamnium on improving the efficiency of urea applied via topdressing in corn was observed. According to the DRIS indices, in the high-yield population the nutrients showed deficiencies in the following descending order: Mg>Fe>Zn>S>B>Mn>P>Cu>Ca>K>N and excess: B>S>Fe>Ca>K>Zn>Mn>Cu>Mg>P>N. The low-yield population followed the following order: Mg>Fe>Zn>Mn>Cu>N>B>P>S> Ca and excess: Zn>S>Cu>Mn>Ca>K> P>B>N>Mg>Fe.

Urea and organic compost are applied as a nitrogen (N) source in vineyards. The aim of this study was to evaluate the yield, total N content in the leaves and the must composition in grapevines with the application of organic compost and urea. ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grapevines, in the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 crop seasons were subjected to the application of 40 kg N ha-1 in the form of organic compost and urea; but there were also unfertilized grapevines. In both crop seasons, leaves were collected at the stages of full flowering and at the change in color of the berries, and the total N content were analyzed; grape yield was evaluated and enological attributes were determined in the must. The application of organic compost and urea did not affect the N content in the leaf nor the grape yield in the second crop season evaluated. However, in the first crop season, grape yield was greater in the grapevines with application of organic compost to the soil. The addition of N sources did not affect the total nutrient content in the must but, in the second crop season, the grape must from the grapevines with the addition of organic compost had a lower soluble solids concentration and a higher total acidity value, as well as tartaric and malic acid values.