The Nitrogen Nutrition of the Peach Tree II. Storage And Mobilization of Nitrogen in Young Trees

Abstract

The chemical composition and distribution of storage nitrogen in young peach trees and the importance of this stored nitrogen for new growth were investigated. Young peach trees, which were grown in sand culture for two growing seasons, accumulated nitrogen in proportion to supply during the first year, and the results suggested that this stored nitrogen was utilized for new growth during the second growing season irrespective of the external nitrogen supply. Tree growth in early spring was significantly correlated with the level of storage nitrogen in tree tissues, but after November tree growth was markedly dependent upon the external nitrogen supply. If fertilizer nitrogen was not applied, the supply of storage nitrogen in tree tissues was exhausted by the end of November. Reaccumulation of storage nitrogen began in tree tissues in December and was rapid if the external nitrogen supply was high.