Time of Nitrogen Application and Phosphorous Effects on Growth
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SOIL MANAGEMENT, FERTILIZATION, & IRRIGATION HORTSCIENCE 30(3):532–534. 1995. This study evaluated the time of N applica- tion on selected performance characteristics of pecan. Additionally, applications of large Time of Nitrogen Application and quantities of P were evaluated to determine if increased leaf P concentrations could be Phosphorus Effects on Growth, Yield, achieved, and correlated with improved and Fruit Quality of Pecan growth, yield, or fruit quality. Materials and Methods Michael W. Smith1, Becky Cheary2, and Becky Carroll2 Our study, located at the Pecan Research Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Oklahoma State Station near Sparks, Okla., was initiated in University, Stillwater, OK 74078 1985 on 35-year-old ‘Patrick’ and ‘Hayes’ pecan trees. Trees were thinned to 22/ha in Additional index words. Carya illinoinensis, cold injury, leaf analysis 1984, leaving wide aisles for interplanting Abstract. March vs. October N applications in factorial combination with two P rates were young pecan trees. This wide spacing served evaluated on two pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) C. Koch] cultivars. Leaf N as a border between treatments. The soil was a concentrations were not affected by N application time. However, yield of ‘Hayes’ was port silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, thermic; increased during 4 of 7 years and cumulative yield was increased 37% when N was applied Cumulic Haplustoll; Mollisols). Management during October compared to March. Yield of ‘Patrick’ and individual nut weight and included a closely mowed grass sod with 2-m- kernel percentage of ‘Hayes’ and ‘Patrick’ were not affected by N application time. wide, weed-free strips on each side of the tree, Phosphorus application increased leaf P concentration 5 of 7 years during the study. Shoot and pesticide applications recommended for growth, yield, individual nut weight, and kernel percentage were not affected by P commercial orchards in Oklahoma (Taylor et application. al., 1992; von Broembsen et al., 1992). Trees were not irrigated. The average budbreak date Nitrogen is usually applied during Febru- hydrates in the spring prevented efficient N at this location is 15 Apr., and trees defoliate ary or March in Oklahoma pecan orchards. assimilation. about 12 Nov. This application time is commonly used be- In pecan, Gammon and Sharpe (1955) re- Treatments were spring vs. fall N applica- cause few other activities during this period ported growth was maximum when trees were tion in factorial combination with two P rates. compete for the growers attention, and, his- fertilized 1 Feb. or earlier. They recommended Nitrogen (NH4NO3) was either applied the torically, N applications during February or fertilization during winter while the grass was second week of March or the first week of March have visibly benefitted the orchard dormant and offered the least competition. October each year from 1985 through 1992 at with no observable adverse affects. Also, grow- Hunter and Lewis (1942) evaluated several 112 kg N/ha. Nitrogen was uniformly broad- ers have targeted this period because ground fertilizer application times on pecan. Applica- cast from the trunk to the drip line. Phosphorus covers are inactive, which may minimize com- tion time did not affect yield, but nut quality (triple superphosphate) was applied, with a petition for applied N. However, in many was reduced when part of the fertilizer was drop-type spreader, during Mar. 1986 and areas where pecans are native, late winter and applied during April or June. They speculated again in May 1989 at 244 kg P/ha each appli- spring flooding frequently prevents timely N that additional growth stimulated by these cation, from the trunk to 4 m beyond the drip application or may cause substantial loss of application times competed with fruit devel- line. Phosphorus and N applications were not applied N. Therefore, alternative application opment, thus reducing quality. incorporated. Each treatment combination was times may be beneficial. The optimum leaf concentration range for replicated four times. Sources of variation for Although late winter or early spring are P in pecan is poorly defined. Several early the experimental design are shown in Tables 1 traditional times to apply N to fruit and nut studies failed to clearly determine the opti- and 2. Data were tested using analysis of trees, research on apple (Malus domestica mum P concentration range for growth, pro- variance with Fisher’s protected LSD. Borkh.) and pear (Pyrus calleryana L.) indi- duction, and fruit quality, primarily due to Leaf samples were collected each year cates other application times are acceptable or, difficulties in obtaining substantial P absorp- during July, using the middle pair of leaflets in some cases, superior. Fall N applications tion from soil applications (Alben and Hammar, from the middle leaf on current-season’s accelerated flower bud development and ex- 1964; Worley, 1974, 1977; Worley et al., growth as the index tissue. Leaf samples were tended stigma receptivity and ovule longevity 1974). To our knowledge, there are no reports washed in distilled water, followed by a deter- compared to spring N applications (Hill- of improved pecan yield, but two studies have gent wash (P-free detergent) then two distilled Cottingham, 1968; Williams, 1965). Apple reported P application improved kernel per- deionized water rinses. Samples were then fruit set was increased when N was applied centage (Hunter, 1951; Sparks, 1988). Most dried at 80C, ground to pass a 20-mesh (850- during the fall rather than the spring (Hill- scientists working with pecan are using 0.12% µm) screen, and stored in airtight glass jars Cottingham, 1968; Hill-Cottingham and Wil- as the minimum acceptable leaf P concentra- until analysis. Nitrogen was determined using liams, 1967). However, others have reported tion and from 0.19% to 0.3% as the maximum the macro-Kjeldahl method (Horowitz, 1980), no consistent relationship between applica- acceptable leaf P concentration (Smith, 1991). and P was determined colorimetrically (Olsen tion time and apple yield (Goode and Higgs, However, recent evidence supports a higher and Sommers, 1982). 1977). Taylor et al. (1975) reported N applied minimum acceptable P concentration. Smith Soil samples were collected during Oct. to pear in the spring was assimilated ineffi- and Cotten (1985) reported that cold damage 1989 and 1991 for pH and P analysis. Three ciently compared to fall-applied N. They hy- of ‘Western’ pecan decreased as leaf P con- samples were taken within the drip line of each pothesized that insufficient available carbo- centrations increased from 0.11% to 0.17%. tree at soil depths of 0 to 5 cm, 5 to 15 cm, and Sparks (1986, 1988), based on greenhouse and 15 to 30 cm in 1989, and the same depths plus field tests, suggested the minimum sufficiency 30 to 45 cm in 1991. The three samples per tree Received for publication 16 May 1994. Accepted level of P (0.12%) for pecan was too low. He were composited for each depth, mixed, and for publication 23 Jan. 1995. Oklahoma Agricul- found that maximum vegetative growth of an aliquot taken for analysis. Soil pH was tural Experiment Station journal series no. J-6419. greenhouse-grown pecan seedlings occurred The cost of publishing this paper was defrayed in determined in a 1 water : 1 soil ratio and P part by the payment of page charges. Under postal when leaf P concentrations were 0.19% to extracted by Bray 1 solution with a 20 solution regulations, this paper therefore must be hereby 0.22%. His field studies with adult trees showed : 1 soil ratio and quantitated by the ascorbic marked advertisement solely to indicate this fact. that greatest fruit growth and minimum leaf acid color development method of Olsen and 1Professor. scorch and defoliation occurred when leaf P Sommers (1982). 2Research Technician. was >0.14% and 0.16%, respectively. Shoot length was measured and the num- 532 HORTSCIENCE, VOL. 30(3), JUNE 1995 Table 1. Sources of variation for leaf N and leaf P concentrations. greater than that of ‘Hayes’ (2.38%). Phos- phorus application did not affect leaf N con- Sum of squares centration. Source df Leaf N Leaf P ** ** Soil P concentrations, sampled in 1989 Cultivar (C) 1 1.6303 0.0018 and 1991, indicated that P application in- Block 3 0.3312** 0.0002 Error A 3 0.0768 0.00011 creased P concentrations from the surface Phosphorus (P) 1 0.000004 0.0025* through the 30-cm depth by 1989 and the 45- Error B 3 0.04168 0.00083 cm depth by 1991 compared to the unfertilized C × P 1 0.0004 0.00008 treatment (Fig. 1). Phosphorus concentrations Error C 3 0.1989 0.00034 decreased as soil depth increased in fertilized Nitrogen (N) 1 0.0372 0.0015*** and unfertilized plots, but the decline in P with C × N 1 0.0007 0.0001 sample depth was more dramatic in the P- P × N 1 0.0022 0.0001 × × fertilized plots. However, these data indicate C P N 1 0.0299 0.000001 that P had moved into the soil profile where Error D 12 0.3009 0.0007 Year (Y) 6 2.9624*** 0.01340*** large concentrations of roots were observed Y × C 6 0.1380 0.0013* during soil sampling. Thus, absorption of P by Y × P 6 0.0405 0.0011* the tree likely would not be limited by lack of Y × N 6 0.1324 0.0005 P movement into areas of active roots. Soil pH Y × C × P 6 0.1304 0.0003 was not significantly affected by N or P treat- Y × C × N 6 0.0541 0.0011 ment or by soil depth (data not shown); soil pH Y × P × N 6 0.0478 0.0002 averaged ≈6.3 in 1989 and 1991.