Nutrient information needed

摘要

The Washington tree fruit industry is pushing for more research on nutrition to help growers optimize production. As yield expectations have soared in recent years, so has the importance of nutrient management. Apple growers who were once happy harvesting 60 bins per acre are now counting on eventual annual yields of 100 bins or more to cover the high cost of new plantings. "With increased crop loads, we have to replace a large amount of nutrients that are being taken out of the ground and the trees when we harvest those crops," said Tim Welsh, horticulturist with Columbia Fruit Packers in Wenatchee, Washington. Dave Gleason, horticulturist with Kershaw Fruit Company in Yakima, Washington, said growers have been shifting from focusing primarily onnitrogen fertilizers to using blends of nutrients that include potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium, and even minor elements. "If your annual yields are up in the 80- to 100-bin range, definitely, the trees are mining a lot from the soil and you're going to have to put something back in," he said. "It's been more common in row crops to do blends of fertilizer, but there are some people who are doing that in apples.