Some physical soil properties and potassium as an intensified factor on iron chlorosis

Abstract

This research was conducted to determine some physical properties, potassium and iron status of the soils, to examine the amounts on the green and chlorotic peach (Prunus persica L.) trees and to investigate the relationship between some causal physical soil properties associated with iron chlorosis. For this purpose nine peach orchards including green, slightly chlorotic and severe chlorotic peach trees all together, were selected from Bursa province. Soil samples were taken around the canopy of the trees at 0-30 and 30-60 cm depths. Leaf samples were collected from the trees, which the soil samples were taken. DTPA extractable iron and exchangeable potassium contents were found sufficient at both soil depths. Soil extractable iron contents were negatively correlated with pH, EC and lime (r =-0.260*, -0.621**, -0.298**). Relationship between DTPA extractable iron and exchangeable potassium was found negatively significant at both depths (r = -0.327** r = -0.346**). Physical soil properties, which lead to iron chlorosis, found affective to the uptake and availability of potassium positively and in chlorotic orchards, it increased the uptake of potassium much more than iron. While the amounts of potassium in the leaves increased with chlorosis degrees (r = 0.342**), the relationship between chlorosis and active iron was found negatively significant (r = -0.839**). © 2007 Academic Journals Inc.