Effect of Appilication of Phosphate and Lime on the Growth and Fruiting of Satsuma Mandarin Trees
Year: 1972
Type: article
Abstract: In order to clarify the effect of application of various amounts of phosphate in combination with lime to the soil on the growth and fruiting of young Satsuma mandarin trees, field experiments were carried out for ten years from 1960 to 1970, in the orchard of diluvial clayey loam.1. The growth of new shoot and trunk, and the increase in leaf number were accelerated by the application of lime until 1962 when the tree sizes were comparatively small The effect of applied phosphate was found only in the plots without lime, that is, the development of trees was accelerated as the amount of applied phosphate was increased. These trends were observable in 1963, but significant differences have disappeared since 1964.2. Since 1963, a similar symptom that was caused by calcium deficiency was found on twigs and leaves of trees in the plots without application of lime, and defoliation and twig dieback occurred in 1964 and 1965. These trees gradually recovered since 1968.3. The number of flowers of P0 plot in 1964 was distinctly low, and this was recovered by an application of phosphate. Since 1965 no significant differences in yield among the various plots were found, although a slight low yield was found in P0 and P1 plots in 1964.4. During five years from 1964 to 1968, there were no substantial differences in fruit weight among the plots. A slight difference was found in 1969, but this might be due to a difference of the number of fruits per tree.No significant differences were also found in fruit color and rate of fruit rind among the individual plots. Total sugar content in fruit juice was slightly low in the plots of phosphate deficiency. It is notable that citric acid content was distinctly lowered by an application of lime. The amounts of applied phosphate did not affect the content of citric acid. Sugar acid ratio was substantially high in the plots treated with lime, which is resulted from lower values of acid content caused by lime application.5. There were not so much differences in phosphorus content of leaves among the plots which received various amounts of phosphate. However, the plots which received lime showed clearly higher values in calcium content of leaves than those which did not receive lime. Magnesium content was higher in the plots which did not receive lime, its content was decreased by increasing the amount of applied phosphate.6. The content of available phosphorus in the soil was increased in proportion to the amount of applied phosphate. The contents of available phosphorus at 30-cm depth were less than half of those at 10-cm depth. Exchangeable CaO, degree of calcium saturation and pH of the soil were very high in the areas which received lime. Those values in the plots which did not receive lime were increased by increasing the amounts of applied phosphate.
DOI: 10.2503/jjshs.41.157
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2030134733