Once this article comes out you will be well into your nutrition program for the year. Nitrogen and potassium, along with other nutrients, are applied to your specific orchard. Do you know if you are doing the right program, though ? One way to stay on track is to take, or have your PCA take, a leaf analysis . Nutrient deficiencies may not be identifiable until they are severely deficient. A leaf analysis may show low or minimum levels that our eyes cannot see, so you are able to correct them before they ever show up visually in the tree. Below is a chart from the UC ANR publication “Almond Production Manual,” which lists the critical nutrient levels for July leaf analysis.
Nutrient
Deficient
Adequate
Excessive Over
Nitrogen (N)
< 2.0%
2.2-2.5%
>2.7%
Phosphorous (P)
0.1-0.3%
Potassium (K)
< 1.0%
>1.4%
Calcium (Ca)
>2.0%
Zinc (Zn)
<15 ppm
Manganese (Mn)
>20 ppm
Copper (Cu)
>4 ppm
Magnesium (Mg)
>0.25%
Sodium (Na)
>0.25%
Chlorine (Cl)
>0.3%
** Boron (B)
(Hulls)
<80 ppm
80-150 ppm
>200 ppm
The three factors listed above are all important during the growing season. Much of the time growers look at bloom and harvest to determine the success of their year, but all the work that is done in the middle plays a vital role in that success. Using the tools that are available to you will lead to the achievement of those goals.
Trent Voss, Regional Manager, Blue Diamond Growers
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MAY–JUNE 2023
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