Revised diagnostic leaf nutrient standards for macadamia growing in Australia
D. O. Huett A C and I. Vimpany BA Centre for Tropical Horticulture, NSW Department of Primary Industries, PO Box 72, Alstonville, NSW 2477, Australia.
B Present address: 75 Panorama Drive, Alstonville, NSW 2477, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: david.huett@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47(7) 869-876 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA06133
Submitted: 8 June 2006 Accepted: 20 December 2006 Published: 2 July 2007
Abstract
Leaf nutrient analyses are widely used to determine the nutritional status of macadamia orchards. A commercial database was developed from 2186 observations collected from 186 farms across 56 geographical areas spanning New South Wales and Queensland. The data were collected over 10 years, with 1 to 9 sequential annual observations on each farm. An experimental database was also developed where several of the most popular commercial cultivars growing in the Lismore area of New South Wales and the Bundaberg area of Queensland were sampled at monthly intervals over a 2–3 year period. Two canopy sampling heights were used to confirm the effect of shading (irradiance) on leaf nutrient composition. This latter study confirmed that spring was an appropriate time to sample and that irradiated leaves, usually located in an upper canopy position, should be sampled.
The most important change to the recommended leaf nutrient standards was the increase in the leaf nitrogen range from 1.3–1.4% to 1.4–1.7% for all cultivars except 344, where we recommend 1.6–2.0%. The study also confirmed that the adequate concentration range for zinc should be much lower than originally recommended. We recommend concentrations of 6–15 mg/kg. Minor changes were made to most other macro- and micronutrients. We also advise caution when interpreting the analyses of some nutrients because concentrations can change over the spring period.
The revised leaf nutrient standards were developed from two large and comprehensive databases and reliably represent adequate leaf nutrient concentrations in productive, well-managed macadamia orchards in Australia. A single leaf analysis will not reliably indicate the nutritional status of a macadamia orchard. Additional information is required on trends in leaf and soil analyses over time as well as fertiliser, yield and management history.
Acknowledgements
We thank Glenn Smith for preparing the data in a format suitable for statistical analyses and Stephen Morris for conducting the analyses. Lindsay Bryen assisted with the collection of the leaf nutrient survey data and Incitec Pivot Pty Ltd contributed substantial funding by conducting the leaf and soil nutrient analyses. A very large number of commercial growers made their data available for the study and several others provided experimental plots for the leaf nutrient survey. Dr Daryl Firth provided expert assistance in identifying macadamia cultivars at the sites used in the commercial database. The Australian Macadamia Society and Horticulture Australia Limited provided financial support for the project as MC03016.
Aitken RL,
Moody PW,
Compton BL, Gallagher EC
(1992) Plant and soil diagnostic tests for assessing the phosphorus status of seedling Macadamia integrifolia. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 43, 191–201.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cartwright B,
Tiller KG,
Zarcinas BA, Pounier LR
(1983) The chemical assessment of the boron status of soils. Australian Journal of Soil Research 21, 321–332.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Colwell JD
(1963) The estimation of the phosphorus fertiliser requirement of wheat in southern New South Wales by soil analysis. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 3, 190–198.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Huett DO
(1996) Prospects for manipulating the vegetative-reproductive balance in horticultural crops through nitrogen nutrition: a review. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 47, 47–66.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Huett DO, Dirou JF
(2000) An evaluation of the rationale for fertiliser management of tropical fruit crops. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 40, 1137–1143.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Huett DO, Stewart GR
(1999) Timing of 15N fertiliser application, partitioning to reproductive and vegetative tissue, and nutrient removal by field-grown low-chill peaches in the subtropics. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 50, 211–215.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Huett DO, Vimpany I
(2006) An evaluation of foliar nitrogen and zinc applications to macadamia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, 1373–1378.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Huett DO,
George AP,
Slack JM, Morris SC
(1997) Diagnostic leaf nutrient standards for low-chill peaches in subtropical Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 37, 119–127.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Huett DO,
Gogel BJ,
Meyers NM,
McConchie CA,
McFadyen LM, Morris SC
(2001) Leaf nitrogen and phosphorus levels in macadamias in response to canopy position and light exposure, their potential as leaf based shading indicators, and implications for diagnostic leaf sampling protocols. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 52, 513–522.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lindsay WL, Norvell WA
(1978) Development of a DTPA soil test for zinc, iron, manganese, and copper. Soil Science Society of America Journal 42, 421–428.
McFadyen LM,
Morris SG,
Oldham MA,
Huett DO,
Meyers NM,
Wood J, McConchie CA
(2004) The relationship between orchard crowding, light interception, and productivity in macadamia. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 55, 1029–1038.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stephenson RA, Cull BW
(1986) Standard leaf nutrient levels for bearing macadamia trees in south-east Queensland. Scientia Horticulturae 30, 73–82.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stephenson RA, Gallagher EC
(1987) Effects of foliar boron sprays on yield and quality of macadamia nuts. Scientia Horticulturae 32, 97–103.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stephenson RA,
Cull BW,
Mayer DG,
Price G, Stock J
(1986) Seasonal patterns of macadamia leaf nutrient levels in south-east Queensland. Scientia Horticulturae 30, 63–71.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stephenson RA,
Gallagher EC, Doogan VJ
(1997) Leaf nitrogen as a guide for fertilising macadamia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 37, 599–604.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Vimpany I, Huett D
(2001) Leaf sampling protocols for macadamias – a new approach needed. Australian Macadamia Society News Bulletin 28(2), 35–36.
