|
The Essential Role Of Nutrition For Citrus
Good Nutrition...
 | Combats chlorosis giving healthier greener trees
|
| Improves resistance to cold weather and late frosts
|
| Improves bud development, flowering and fruit set |
Key Nutrients
A deficiency of one or more of these elements seriously affects vigour, productivity, fruit size and quality.
Combat Chlorosis Giving Healthier Greener Trees
| Iron
# necessary for photosynthesis and the formation of chlorophyll and proteins |
| Magnesium
# part of the chlorophyll molecule |
| Manganese
# important for photosynthesis
|
| Zinc
# necessary for the correct functioning of many enzyme systems |
Improves Resistance To Cold Weather And Late Frosts
| Good nutritional status of the crop at this time helps to counteract the effects of:
# cold wet soils
# poor nutrient uptake
# frost damage
|
Improved Bud Development Flowering And Fruit Set
| Zinc
# necessary for the correct functioning of many enzyme systems
# important for the synthesis of nucleic acids
# needed for auxin (plant hormone metabolism
|
Phosphorus Deficiency Symptoms
| Phosphorus is essential for cell division and reproduction. It is needed at all growth phases of the crop especially at germination and seed development.
|
| Deficiency symptoms are... |
# Bronze or dull green leaves, older leaves may have necrotic patches
# Soft spongy fruit with thick rinds, misshapen with hollow centres
Potassium Deficiency Symptoms
| Potassium plays a key role in plant physiology
|
| Deficiency symptoms are... |
# twisted leaves that curl and pucker, yellow spots
# small thin skinned fruit with an unusually smooth peel texture
Iron Deficiency Symptoms
| As deficiency develops the leaves become cream-coloured to white
|
| In severe deficiency the leaves become small and completely bleached
|
| Fruit is small and of poor quality
|
| Twigs and branches die back |
Zinc Deficiency Symptoms
| Leaves develop a pale mottling
|
| Leaves are smaller and pale in colour
|
| Growth points are affected
|
| In severe cases, twigs die back and trees become bushy and stunted |
# Symptoms are usually more noticeable on the south side of the tree
Manganese Deficiency Symptoms
| Leaves become lighter between the veins |
# Symptoms are usually more noticeable on the north side of the tree and are more pronounced during the spring flush of growth
Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms
| Tree becomes bronze as the deficiency extends
|
| Leaves then become necrotic and fall from the tree leaving it almost bare |
# Symptoms are only present in mature leaves and are more easily seen at the end of the summer, in autumn and winter
|
