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Prediction of leaf nitrogen from early season samples and development of field sampling protocols for nitrogen management in Almond (Prunus dulcis [Mill.] DA Webb)

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Abstract

Background and aim

Protocols for leaf sampling in deciduous tree crops are commonly executed too late in the season and do not adequately consider field variability to be effectively used to guide N management. The goal of this study was to develop improved sampling strategies to optimize nitrogen management in deciduous tree crops.

Method

Leaf nutrient concentration from individual trees in four mature commercial orchards was collected (n =1148) for three consecutive seasons to develop nitrogen prediction models and to estimate the distribution of N values in orchards in July. Spatial variance analysis was used to determine optimal sampling strategies.

Results

Leaf nitrogen concentration in summer can be predicted (r2 = 0.9) from the leaf N and B concentration in spring with the sum of K, Ca, and Mg equivalents. Mean field leaf nutrient concentration can be obtained by collecting one pooled sample per management zone composed of 30 trees each of which are at least 30 m apart. Using these methods the percentage of trees with leaf N above the recommended July critical value can be predicted accurately.

Conclusions

Optimized methods for sample collection and models to predict mid-season leaf N from early season samples can be used to improve N management in deciduous tree crops.

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Acknowledgements

The researchers would like to thank Richard Plant, Jeremy Nunes, the Almond Board of California, USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative and the California Department of Food and Agriculture for making this study possible. Also, the researchers would like to especially thank the participant growers and California farm advisers for their invaluable collaboration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Agronomía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Casilla 4-D, Quillota, Chile

    Sebastian Saa

  2. Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, 1035 Wickson Hall, Mail Stop #2, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Patrick H. Brown, Andres Olivos-Del Rio & Emilio A. Laca

  3. Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Jail Road, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Saiful Muhammad

  4. Kern County Cooperative Extension, University of California, 1031 South Mount Vernon Avenue, Bakersfield, CA, 93307, USA

    Blake L. Sanden

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  1. Sebastian Saa
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  2. Patrick H. Brown
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  3. Saiful Muhammad
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  4. Andres Olivos-Del Rio
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  5. Blake L. Sanden
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Correspondence to Patrick H. Brown.

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Responsible Editor: Philip John White.

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Saa, S., Brown, P.H., Muhammad, S. et al. Prediction of leaf nitrogen from early season samples and development of field sampling protocols for nitrogen management in Almond (Prunus dulcis [Mill.] DA Webb). Plant Soil 380, 153–163 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2062-4

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