Leaf Nutrient Status of Apple Orchards in Different Locations of Kashmir

The present investigation for apple (Malus domestica Borkh) cv. Red Delicious in Kashmir Valley was carried out at the Division of Fruit Sciences, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, by sampling the commercial apple cultivar Red Delicious in the Kashmir valley of Jammu and Kashmir state. In order to define existing fertility of soil and availability of nutrients to the plants and to work out order of nutrient requirement for apple trees grown in Kashmir Valley, the present investigations were conducted in the major apple growing areas of Kashmir valley viz Sopore and Shopian. The foliar macronutrient contents in leaves viz, N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S in different apple orchards ranged from 1.87–2.38, 0.13–0.27, 1.16–1.80, 1.22–1.83, 0.21 0.42 and 0.14–0.25 per cent with mean values of 2.18, 0.18, 1.55, 1.55, 0.30 and 0.19 per cent, respectively. Whereas, leaf micronutrients viz Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn and B varied from 88.47–143.97, 15.82–42.44, 6.06–15.03, 51.68–116.83 and 21.13–39.18 ppm with mean values of 117.55, 28.60, 9.62, 83.03 and 30.14 ppm, respectively.