See the details of UF/IFAS research for integrated nutrient management through the use of nitrogen and phosphorus.
In our last blog, we shared the details of a study into controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) for citrus; it’s part of integrated nutrient management and aimed at improving citrus production. The information came from a recent Citrus Industry article authored by a UF/IFAS associate professor and postdoctoral research associates. The blog also shared information about a study conducted to determine the optimal rates of nitrogen and phosphorus in citrus. See the details below.
Study Details
The article maintained this “multiyear study on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) rates is still underway at 14 sites in Florida.” The study has been underway for three years at grower sites, and the study is being conducted to “determine the optimal N and P rates for improving citrus yields across different agroecologies.
The study is testing nitrogen rates from 100 to 300 pounds per acre and phosphorus rates of 0 to 80 pounds per acre.
Nitrogen and Phosphorus Study Results Thus Far
The article maintained that, so far, “UF/IFAS researchers have not established significant differences in fruit yields and juice quality across rates.” Researchers advise that it could mean “that even modest rates of N and P would be appropriate in citrus production systems impacted by HLB.”
Researchers also found that “leaf levels for P were noted to be very high or excessive, especially in the Florida Panhandle.” It could mean that “growers can omit P in their fertilizer practices during select times of the year and apply when the P levels fall to low levels.”
Lastly, researchers found that “In all sites, most ammonium and nitrate nitrogen and phosphorus were observed to concentrate in the top 6 inches of soil, where 80% of the citrus roots are found.” Researchers think that “under current management, nutrient retention is significantly higher within the root zone than in the subsoil. However, lower subsoil concentrations suggest potential leaching beyond 18 inches, likely driven by high hydraulic conductivity.” Researchers are assessing the leaching and potential losses by installing lysimeters, which measure any leaching of nutrients through soil.
See our last blog in the series concerning the use of orange peel powder.
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