Seasonal changes of nutrient concentrations in loquat tree (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.)

Abstract

The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) is a fruit tree of increasing interest in the Mediterranean area; however, there is scarce information respect to the seasonal demand for nutrients in order to set up a fertilization programme. In this work, we have studied the seasonal changes of nutrient concentrations in two types of leaves (summer and autumn) and fruits of the cv 'Algerie'. The contents of most mineral elements were maintained stable in the autumn flush leaves at the end of the flowering. For this reason, we suggested that the kind of leaves sampled in November could be the most adequate tissue and time for nutritional diagnosis.