| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4566612 | Scientia Horticulturae | 2014 | 6 Pages |
•Compost at a rate of 0, 5 and 10 t ha−1 was applied for 11 years to a nectarine orchard.•Dry weight of annual organs increased linearly with compost application rate.•Nutrient partitioning within tree organs was not affected by the compost rate.•The amount of nutrients allocated to the organs increased with the rate of compost.•Compost at 10 t ha−1 increased N and decreased Ca and Mg concentration in leaves.
The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the effects of annual application of three rates of compost on nutrient concentration and accumulation in tree organs, after 11 years of continuous application of a municipal solid waste (MSW) compost in a commercial nectarine orchard. Trees were subjected, since their plantation (2001), to the following MSW compost rate: 0, 5 and 10 t dw ha−1 yr−1, split in May (60%) and September (40%). In 2011/2012 biomass of pruned wood, thinned fruits, fruit pulp and stones at harvest, and abscised leaves were weighted and analyzed for macro (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) and micro (Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn) nutrients concentration. In addition, leaves and fruit pulp at harvest were analyzed for heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Hg and Pb) concentration. Plant part biomass (with the exception of thinned fruits) was linearly related to compost application rate. The highest rate of compost increased N and decreased Ca and Mg concentration in leaves sampled in summer, whereas no differences among treatments were observed for the other nutrients. At the end of the season leaf N, K and Zn were remobilized to storage plant part, while P, Ca, Mg, Fe and Mn reached the highest values in abscised leaves. Nitrogen, K, Mg, Cu, Mn and Zn accumulation in the plant part analyzed increased as a consequence of the application of compost at 10 t ha−1 when compared with compost at 5 t ha−1 and control. Phosphorous accumulation was increased by compost at the highest rate compared with control; no differences were observed for Ca and Fe accumulation. Nitrogen and P were mainly accumulated in fruit, abscised leaves and pruned wood; K was allocated mainly into fruits, while Ca and Mg were found highest in abscised leaves. Concentration of heavy metals in leaves and fruits were not affected by treatments.
