Revised diagnostic leaf nutrient standards for macadamia growing in Australia
D. O. Huett A C and I. Vimpany BA Centre for Tropical Horticulture, NSW Department of Primary Industries, PO Box 72, Alstonville, NSW 2477, Australia.
B Present address: 75 Panorama Drive, Alstonville, NSW 2477, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: david.huett@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47(7) 869-876 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA06133
Submitted: 8 June 2006 Accepted: 20 December 2006 Published: 2 July 2007
Abstract
Leaf nutrient analyses are widely used to determine the nutritional status of macadamia orchards. A commercial database was developed from 2186 observations collected from 186 farms across 56 geographical areas spanning New South Wales and Queensland. The data were collected over 10 years, with 1 to 9 sequential annual observations on each farm. An experimental database was also developed where several of the most popular commercial cultivars growing in the Lismore area of New South Wales and the Bundaberg area of Queensland were sampled at monthly intervals over a 2–3 year period. Two canopy sampling heights were used to confirm the effect of shading (irradiance) on leaf nutrient composition. This latter study confirmed that spring was an appropriate time to sample and that irradiated leaves, usually located in an upper canopy position, should be sampled.
The most important change to the recommended leaf nutrient standards was the increase in the leaf nitrogen range from 1.3–1.4% to 1.4–1.7% for all cultivars except 344, where we recommend 1.6–2.0%. The study also confirmed that the adequate concentration range for zinc should be much lower than originally recommended. We recommend concentrations of 6–15 mg/kg. Minor changes were made to most other macro- and micronutrients. We also advise caution when interpreting the analyses of some nutrients because concentrations can change over the spring period.
The revised leaf nutrient standards were developed from two large and comprehensive databases and reliably represent adequate leaf nutrient concentrations in productive, well-managed macadamia orchards in Australia. A single leaf analysis will not reliably indicate the nutritional status of a macadamia orchard. Additional information is required on trends in leaf and soil analyses over time as well as fertiliser, yield and management history.
Acknowledgements
We thank Glenn Smith for preparing the data in a format suitable for statistical analyses and Stephen Morris for conducting the analyses. Lindsay Bryen assisted with the collection of the leaf nutrient survey data and Incitec Pivot Pty Ltd contributed substantial funding by conducting the leaf and soil nutrient analyses. A very large number of commercial growers made their data available for the study and several others provided experimental plots for the leaf nutrient survey. Dr Daryl Firth provided expert assistance in identifying macadamia cultivars at the sites used in the commercial database. The Australian Macadamia Society and Horticulture Australia Limited provided financial support for the project as MC03016.
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