Mineral Nutrition of Fruit Trees

Book excerpt: Mineral Nutrition of Fruit Trees summarizes the state of knowledge about the mineral nutrition of fruit trees, including peach and apple trees. The discussions are organized around six themes: fruit tree mineral nutrition and crop quality; uptake and transport; effect of soil management and fertilizer applications on nutrient uptake; direct application of nutrients to foliage and fruits; prediction of nutrient requirements; and synthesis. This text consists of 69 chapters and begins with a section dealing with the effects of nutrition on fruit quality. The second section explores the mechanisms of nutrient entry to, and movement within, fruit trees and the means of influencing the nutrition of both the whole tree and the crop by fertilizers and management practices, including irrigation and the use of herbicides. The third section describes methods for predicting the needs of the tree for establishment, growth, and fruit quality. The effects of interactions between nutrition and environment on the mineral composition of fruits are considered, along with an integrated approach to orchard nutrition and bitter pit control, the influence of boron deficiency on fruit quality, and calcium accumulation in apple fruit. This book will be of interest to scientists working in fields such as biochemistry, food technology, agriculture, horticulture, and physiology.