ABSTRACT
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEVELS OF ZINC, MANGANESE, AND IRON LEVELS IN THE SOIL AND IN THE LEAF, IN APPLE TREES IN THE CURICO AREA (CHILE)

Rafael Ruiz S.1 y Tania Navia P.2
 

The relationships between some soil profile properties and foliar levels of zinc, manganese and iron were studied in apple orchards from the Curicó area.
Zinc defieiency showed by the trees seems to be related to low levels of this element in the subsoil. Soil manganese and iron contents were not associated with leaf levels. A possible explanation for that, in the case of manganese, could be that pesticides applied during the sea son were rich in manganese. In the case of iron, it may be because leaf analysis is not a good indicator of the iron status of plants.

Keywords:
1Ing. Agr., Programa Fertilidad de Suelos, Estación Experimental La Platina, Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA), Casilla 5427, Santiago, Chile.
2Tecnólogo Médico, Laboratorio Suelos y Análisis Foliar, Estación Experimental La Platina, Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA), Casilla 5427, Santiago, Chile.