Abstract
A three-year field experiment was conducted in a commercial orange grove [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb. cv. `Valencia late' grafted on Citrange Troyer] established on a calcareous soil in the south of Portugal, to investigate if flower analysis could be used to diagnose lime-induced iron chlorosis. In April, during full bloom, flowers and leaves were collected from 20 trees. Leaf samples were again collected from the same trees in May, June, July and August. Total chlorophyll was estimated in all the leaves sampled for foliar analysis, using a SPAD-502 apparatus. Leaves and flowers were analysed for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu. Principal Component Analysis was used to evaluate the variation of nutrient concentrations in flowers, and linear regressions were established between these and the chlorophyll content of leaves 90 days after full bloom. Evaluation of the best-fit equation was carried out using separate data obtained from other groves. Variation in the pattern of floral mineral composition in the flowers showed contrasts between the increase in N, P and K and that of Ca, Fe and Zn, while the concentration of Mg, Mn and Ca varied synchronously. The ratio of Mg:Zn in flowers explained about half of the variation of chlorophyll in leaves later in the season. A ratio below 100 indicated that trees would develop iron chlorosis, while with a ratio above 200 leaves would remain green. An early prognosis of iron chlorosis based on floral analysis can benefit growers, since it allows them to apply treatments in time to prevent loss of fruit yield and quality due to iron chlorosis.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A.O.A.C. 1990 Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. Official Methods of Analysis. 12th Ed., Washington, D.C.
Abadía J, López-Millán A F, Rombolá A D and Abadía A 2002 Organic acids and Fe deficiency: a review. Plant Soil 241, 75–86.
Belkhodja R, Morales F, Sanz M, Abadía A and Abadía J 1998 Iron deficiency in peach trees: effects on leaf chlorophyll and nutrient concentrations in flowers and leaves. Plant Soil 203, 257–268.
Bouranis D L, Chorianopoulou S N, Zakynthinos G, Sarlis G and Drossopoulos J B 2001 Flower analysis for prognosis of nutritional dynamics of almond tree. J. Plant Nutr. 24, 705–716.
Correia P J, Anastácio I, Candeias M F and Martins-Loução M A 2002 Nutritional diagnosis in carob-tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.): Relationships between yield and leaf mineral concentration. Crop Sci. 42, 1577–1583.
Drouineau J 1942 Dosage rapid du calcaire actif des sols. Annals Agron. 1942, 441–450.
Grusak M A, Pearson J N and Marentes E 1999 The physiology of micronutrient homeostasis in field crops. Field Crops Res. 60, 41–56.
Igartua E, Grasa R, Sanz M, Abadía A and Abadía J 2000 Prognosis of iron chlorosis from the mineral composition of flowers in peach. J. Hort. Sci. Biotec. 75, 111–118.
INMG 1991 Normais climatológicas da região do ‘Alentejo e Algarve’ correspondentes a 1951–1980. In O Clima de Portugal. Ed. 98. Vol. XLIX Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia e Geofísica, Lisbon, Portugal.
Isaac R A and Kerber J D 1971 Atomic absorption and flame photometry: Techniques and uses in soil, plant, and water analysis. In Instrumental methods for analysis of soils and plant tissue. Ed. L M Walsh. pp. 17–37. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI.
Jaegger B, Goldbach H and Sommer K 2000 Release from lime induced iron chlorosis by CULTAN in fruit trees and its characterisation by analysis. Acta Hort. (ISHS) 531, 107–113.
Legendre P and Legendre L 1998 Numerical ecology. 2 Ed. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. 853 pp.
Morales F, Grasa R, Abadía A and Abadía J 1998 Iron chlorosis paradox in fruit trees. J. Plant Nutr. 21, 815–825.
Olsen R A and Sommers L E 1982 Phosphorus In Methods of soil analysis. Part 2. Eds A L Page, R H Miller and D R Keeney. pp. 403–430. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Inc., Madison, WI.
Pestana M 2000 Caracterização fisiológica e nutritiva da clorose férrica em citrinos. Avaliação dos mecanismos de resistência aos efeitos do HCO −3 . Thesis for PhD degree on Agronomy, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
Pestana M, Correia P J, Varennes A de, Abadía J and Faria E A 2001 The use of floral analysis to diagnose the nutritional status of oranges trees. J. Plant Nutr. 24, 1913–1923.
Sanz M and Montañés L 1995 Flower analysis as a new approach to diagnosing the nutritional status of the peach tree. J. Plant Nutr. 18, 1667–1675.
Sanz M, Carrera M and Montañés L 1993 El estado nutricional del peral. Possibilidad del diagnóstico floral. Hortofruticultura 10, 60–62.
Sanz M, Montañés L and Carrera M 1994 The possibility of using flower analysis to diagnose the nutritional status of pear trees. Acta Hort. (ISHS) 367, 290–295.
Sanz M, Pascual J and Machín J 1997a Prognosis and correction of iron chlorosis in peach trees: Influence on fruit quality. J. Plant Nutr. 20, 1567–1572.
Sanz M, Pérez J, Pascual J and Machín J 1998 Prognosis of iron chlorosis in apple trees by floral analysis. J. Plant Nutr. 21, 1697–1703.
Sanz M, Belkhodja R, Toselli M, Montañés L, Abadía A, Tagliavini M, Marangoni B and Abadía J 1997b Floral analysis as a possible tool for prognosis of iron deficiency in peach. Acta Hort. (ISHS) 448, 241–245.
Spiegel-Roy P and Goldschmidt E E 1996 Biology of Citrus. 1st Ed. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 230 pp.
Toselli M, Marangoni B and Tagliavini M 2000 Iron content in vegetative and reproductive organs of nectarine trees in calcareous soils during the development of chlorosis. Eur. J. Agron. 13, 279–286.
Walkley A and Black I A 1934 An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Sci. 37, 29–38.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pestana, M., de Varennes, A., Goss, M.J. et al. Floral analysis as a tool to diagnose iron chlorosis in orange trees. Plant and Soil 259, 287–295 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:PLSO.0000020979.83817.b4
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:PLSO.0000020979.83817.b4