Plant tissue analysis of 'Nagpur' mandarin (Citrus reticulate Blanco) orchards in Jhalawar district of Rajasthan
2011
Bhatnagar, Prerak
‘Nagpur’ mandarin orchards under hot sub humid tropical climate of southern Rajasthan in Rajasthan state were studied to diagnose the nutrient constraints through leaf analysis for assessing low productivity in the orchards of the area and to identify optimal nutrient levels. A total of 95 km2 of mandarin growing belt was surveyed covering 18 sites of Jhalawar district having black cotton soils extending over 6.32 lakh hectare area. Four to five months old physiologically mature leaves (2nd, 3rd or 4th leaves from non fruiting terminals) were collected at a height of 1.5 to 1.8 m from the ground. The collected leaf samples were analyzed for N, P, K, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn content. Analysis of ‘Nagpur’ mandarin leaves revealed a low to deficient status of nitrogen and manganese content in growing plants but optimal status of K, Fe, Zn and Cu. Results revealed that 22.2% were found deficient in nitrogen content, 33.3% low, whereas 38.9% were found optimal, whereas, it elucidated that 33.9% were deficient in Mn content, 44.4% have a low content and 16.7% of the samples were found with an optimal Mn content. However, nitrogen content in growing plants has a significant negative correlation with Mn and Cu. Fe content in growing plants had significant and positive correlations with Mn and Cu. It is felt that the application of macro- and micronutrients have to be applied in a balanced ratio ensuring that N and Mn contents are available to the plants either by soil or foliar sprays as per the requirement of the trees. Under the present circumstances, there is a need to modify the fertilizer applications including the farmyard manure application spray schedule including Manganese sulphate.
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