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Title: ABIOTIC FACTORS POSSIBLY CONTRIBUTING TO RESET FAILURE OF CITRUS TREES IN A COMMERCIAL GROVE IN FLORIDA

Author
item Albano, Joseph
item SAHI, SHIVENDRA - WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIV
item WILSON, CHRIS - UNIV OF FLORIDA
item Bowman, Kim

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/30/2006
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Reset/replant problems and/or failure are recognized in fruit tree production throughout the world. Problems in establishing or reestablishing fruit trees have been documented in apple, peach, grape, and citrus. Research to date has not identified a single casual agent responsible for reset failure, but rather a complex interaction of biotic and abiotic factors. In this study we compared abiotic factors related to soil texture and soil nutrients in healthy reset and reset failure areas of a commercial citrus grove in Florida. A significant difference in soil texture was found in healthy (94%, 4%, and 2%, sand, silt, and clay, respectively) vs. reset failure (99% sand and < 1% silt and clay) areas in the citrus grove block. Melich III extractions were performed on soil samples and levels of Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P, and Zn in the extract solution were significantly higher in healthy compared to failure areas of the citrus grove block. These data are consistent with observations in other fruit crops where soil texture, which directly relates to soil hydrologic conditions, and soil nutrient levels have been identified as contributing factors related to reset/replant failure in fruit tree crops.