Changes in mineral nutrition during fruit growth and development of ‘Seike’ and ‘Newhall’ navel orange as a guide for fertilization

• Published in: Revista Brasileira de Fruticultura 2019-01, Vol.41 (5)
• Main Authors: Fu, Xing-Zheng, Fa, Xie, Li, Cao, Li-Li, Ling, Chang-Pin, Chun, Liang-Zhi, Peng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Citrus; fruit pulp; HORTICULTURE; mineral nutrition; peel
• ISSN: 0100-2945; 1806-9967; 1806-9967
• DOI: 10.1590/0100-29452019111

Abstract Changes in the accumulation patterns of mineral nutrients at different development stages of fruit reflect the requirements of citrus trees for different nutrients, and this information provides an essential reference for rational fertilization. In this study, changes in the contents of 11 nutrients in the whole fruit, fruit pulp, and peel were studied during the whole developmental period of the fruit of ‘Seike’ and ‘Newhall’ navel oranges. We found that the two navel orange cultivars showed very similar changes in nutrients. Specifically, the N, P, Mg, S, Mn, and Zn contents were high in the young fruit stage (April), the K and Fe contents were high in the fruit expansion stage (July and August), and the Ca content was high in the fruit maturation stage (October). As the fruit developed, the N, P, Mg, S, Zn, and B contents decreased to the lowest levels at fruit maturity in November. In addition, the contents of N, P, K, Fe, Zn, and Cu were ranked as fruit pulp > whole fruit > peel, while Ca, Mn, and B contents were ranked as fruit peel > whole fruit > fruit pulp. N, P, K, and Mg accumulated in the fruit in June and July, in contrast to the June to September period for the micro-elements. During these accumulation periods, it is recommended that suitable fertilizers be applied in a timely manner. Resumo Mudanças nos padrões de acumulação de nutrientes minerais em diferentes estágios de desenvolvimento do fruto refletem as exigências de plantas cítricas para diferentes nutrientes, e essa informação fornece uma referência essencial para a fertilização racional. Neste estudo, mudanças no conteúdo de 11 nutrientes no fruto inteiro, na polpa e na casca foram estudadas durante todo o período de desenvolvimento do fruto de laranjas-baía das cultivares “Seike” e “Newhall”. Descobriu-se que as duas cultivares mostraram mudanças muito semelhantes em relação aos nutrientes. Especificamente, os teores de N, P, Mg, S, Mn e Zn foram elevados no estágio de frutos jovens (abril), os teores de K e Fe foram elevados no estágio de expansão de frutos (julho e agosto) e o conteúdo de Ca foi elevado no estágio de maturação de frutos (outubro). À medida que os frutos se desenvolveram, os teores de N, P, Mg, S, Zn e B atingiram os menores teores no estágio de maturação dos frutos em novembro. Além disso, os teores de N, P, K, Fe, Zn e Cu foram classificados de forma decrescente como: polpa > fruto inteiro > casca, enquanto os teores de Ca, Mn e B foram classificados co