Establishment of diagnosis and recommendation integrated system norms for plum cv. Santa Rosa

Abstract

The leaf sampling survey was carried out in plum orchards of Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh during 2008 and 2009. Five locations, viz., Naggar, Raison, Nagabagh, Gahar and Badah were selected. From each location five orchards were selected according to multistage sampling technique. The data on fruit yield, soil and leaf nutrient status were recorded. Forty four DRIS norms were developed from database of 1000 observations of leaf nutrient composition and yield. The DRIS norms expressions that produced highest ratio were selected as DRIS norm. The nutrient expressions N/P, N/K, N/Ca, N/Mg, K/P, Ca/P, Mg/P, Ca/K, Mg/K, Ca/Mg, Fe/N, Mn/N, Fe/P, Mn/P, Cu/P, B/P, Fe/K, Zn/K, Mn/K, Cu/K, Fe/Ca, Ca/Zn, Ca/Mn, Cu/Ca, B/Ca, Fe/Mg, Zn/Mg, Mg/Mn, B/Mg, Fe/Zn, Fe/Mn, Zn/Mn, Cu/Zn, B/Zn, Cu/Mn and B/Mn were found to produce highest variance ratio, thus these expression have a significant contribution for yield in plum and orchards were diagnosed on the basis of norms developed. The expressions N/Zn, N × Cu, N/B, B/K, Cu/Mg, Fe/Cu, Fe/B and Cu/B produced non-significant variance ratios were also treated as norms as they have neutral effect on the index calculation. The studies revealed deficiency of N, Fe and Cu in 4 per cent orchards, whereas, excess of N, Fe and Cu were diagnosed in 8, 36 and 12 per cent of the orchards respectively. Deficiency of P, K, Mg, Zn, Mn and B was diagnosed in 12, 20, 12, 24, 8 and 32 per cent orchards, respectively. Only 52 per cent of the orchards were diagnosed for Mg excess. The order of limiting nutrients in different orchards revealed that B was most limiting nutrient and 32% orchards showed its deficiency, while 24% orchards showed zinc deficiency.