Studies in citrus nutrition i. Leaf growth and composition

Abstract

Vegetative shoots from the spring flush of an experimental citrus grove tagged and sampled on three occasions at intervals of 6 months. The effects of four cultural treatments, four levels of nitrogen supply, four combinations of stock and scion, and of time on leaf area and dry weight, and on relative and absolute contents of water, nitrogen, and phosphorus are presented and discussed. While nitrogen nutrition is still the dominant factor, the evidence strongly suggests that phosphorus nutrition has become important as a determinant of treatment effects within the experimental grove. The possible relevance of soil temperature and soil organic matter for some of the cultural treatment effects is discussed.