Nutritional status of Santa Rosa Japanese plum as affected by nitrogen and boron under rainfed conditions of Kashmir

Abstract

Present experiment was carried out in a seven year old private plum orchard near SKUAST-Kashmir, Shalimar Campus, Srinagar during 2012 and 2013, to examine the response to nitrogenous fertilizer and boron on nutritional status of soil, leaf and fruit of plum cv. Santa Rosa. Urea @ 500 g (N1), CaNO3 @ 1450 g (N2), N1 + 50 g boron (N3) and N2 + 50 g boron (N4) were applied at T1 = Full dose in spring, T2 = Full dose after harvest and T3 = 3/4 dose in spring and 1/4 dose after harvest. Observations were recorded on nutritional status of soil, leaf and fruit. N1T1 treatment combination scored maximum values for nitrogen (359.79 %), potassium (326.27 %), iron (53.33 ppm), copper (1.79 ppm), zinc (1.64 ppm) and manganese (41.50 ppm) while N2T2 and N2T1 treatment recorded maximum values for phosphorous (21.28 %) and calcium (37.37 %), respectively. Maximum nitrogen (2.57 %), magnesium (0.50 %), Iron (260.39 ppm) and copper (8.95 ppm) content was recorded in leaves of N1T1 treatment however, N2T2 treatment recorded maximum phosphorus (0.27 %). Potassium (3.26 %), zinc (33.61 ppm) and manganese (73.18 ppm) scored higher values in N2T1 treatment combination. Macro nutrient content in fruits viz. nitrogen (1.38 %), phosphorous (1.38 %) and potassium (2.37 %) was maximum in N1T1, while maximum calcium (0.92 %) in N2T1 and magnesium (0.36 %) in N3T1. Similarly, maximum micro-nutrient contents in fruit viz. zinc (18.82 ppm), manganese (47.16 ppm), copper (9.32 ppm) and iron (9.20 ppm) were recorded under the treatment combinations of N2T1. Both sources of nitrogen and boron can be considered as best fertilizer in plum orchards for improving the mineral nutrient status of leaf, fruit and soil.