Starking Delicious/MM 109 apple grafts were grown for 120 days in nutrient solution at five levels each of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn, Fe and Cu. The plants were exposed to a photoperiod and dark period of 16 and 8 hours respectively at 25±4°C at 2500±200 lux and 70±5 per cent relative humidity. Simultaneously, 25 healthy and high yielding apple tress were selected from each of five well managed orchards. The nutrient ranges were established by comparing the leaf nutrient status with plant dry weight in solution culture and with fruit yield in orchard survey. The nutrient ragnes established by solution culture were 2.12–2.58, 0.28–0.39, 2.25–2.52, 1.88–2.10 and 0.34–0.40 per cent forleaf N, P, K, Caand Mg,respectively and 35–108, 70–120, 102–166 and 14 ppm for leaf Zn, Mn, Fe and Cu, respectively. The established nutrient ranges by orchard survey were 2.43–2.65, 0.17–0.20, 1.34–1.74, 1.29–1.47 and 0.41–0.62 per cent for leaf N, P, K, Ca and Mg respectively and 28.5–44.9, 73.1–94.1, 350–482 and 17.2–24.3 ppm for leaf Zn, Mn, Fe and Cu, respectivley.
