Potassium fertilization and its impact on production and mineral composition of peach trees

Abstract

Abstract This study aimed at evaluating production parameters of peach trees subject to different doses of potassium fertilization and at establishing the critical level of this nutrient in the soil and in peach tree leaves. The experiment was conducted in the 2016, 2017 and 2018 seasons in a commercial orchard located in Morro Redondo, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. Peach trees of the cultivar Sensação were fertilized at the following doses: 0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg ha-1 K2O as potassium chloride applied to the surface of the soil. In the 3-year study, production per plant, number of fruit, fruit mass and fruit diameter were evaluated while soil and leaf samples were collected to undergo chemical analyses. Potassium fertilization in peach orchards increases levels of this nutrient in the 0-20 cm soil layer. Potassium fertilization via soil increased potassium contents in peach tree leaves. Productivity of peach trees responds to superficial potassium application via soil but it does not affect mean fruit mass. The critical level between relative productivity and potassium content in the soil could not be established while the one between production and potassium content of leaves of peach trees was 2.84%.