Right Leaf Sampling-The first and most critical step to good nutrition program

Right Leaf Sampling-The first and most critical step to good nutrition program

Report Date: 09/28/2023
Project: 20-011   Year: 2023
Category: Horticultural & Management
Author: Tripti Vashisth
Sponsor: Citrus Research and Development Foundation

1. Please state project objectives and what work was done this quarter to address them:  1. To determine how many leaf nutrient sampling per year are required to effectively capture the tree nutritional statusand adjust fertilizer accordingly.2. To establish the relationship of leaf nutrient concentration with yield, fruit drop, and canopy density3. To determine how the leaf nutrient (all 14 nutrient) levels change in the tree throughout the year.4. To evaluate how the leaf age affects the leaf nutrient status.  Major activities in this quarter were leaf sampling of tagged flush, nutrient analysis, leaf characteristics documentation. A signifcant portion of time was spent on data analysis as we have a massive data set. The preliminary analysis is showing that the fertilization based on spring flush yielded the highest fruit. It is possible because spring flush is monitored throughout the year and therefore, fertilizer can be adjusted atleast three times. We are also learning about the leas charateristic differences between spring and summer flush where summer flush seems to be larger and more productive. Lastly, fruiting and non fruiting branch comparison are showing distinct nutrient profile differences between the two branches. These results will be presented at ASHS 2023 as an oral presentation. 2. Please state what work is anticipated for next quarter:     1. Data analysis and interpretation    2. Final leaf collection for phenotyping and nutrient analysis.  3. Please state budget status (underspend or overspend, and why): The budget is being spent as per the plan where major funds have been used for nutrient anlaysis.   4. Please show all potential commercialization products resulting from this research, and the status of each:  Changes in leaf sampling recommedation will happen as a result of this research. We anticipate to have recommendations by december 2023.  


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