Abstract

SALAZAR-GARCIA, Samuel; MEDINA-TORRES, Raúl; IBARRA-ESTRADA, Martha Elva  and  GONZALEZ-VALDIVIA, José. Appropriate leaf sampling period for nutrient diagnosis in three mango cultivars. Rev. Chapingo Ser.Hortic [online]. 2018, vol.24, n.3, pp.167-179. ISSN 2007-4034.  https://doi.org/10.5154/r.rchsh.2017.09.035.

In Nayarit, Mexico, it is common to perform leaf analyses in mango for nutrient diagnosis; however, the appropriate period to carry out leaf sampling is unknown, so procedures extrapolated from other producing regions are used, which leads to incorrect diagnoses. The aim of this research was to identify the appropriate leaf sampling period (ALSP) in 'Ataúlfo', 'Kent' and 'Tommy Atkins' mangos grown without irrigation. From 2006 to 2007 we worked with commercial orchards in the north, center and south of Nayarit. In 'Ataúlfo' and 'Kent' the spring (SpVF) and summer vegetative flushes (SuVF) were considered, and in 'Tommy Atkins' the SpVP and autumn one (AVF). Leaf samplings were performed monthly, starting when the leaf reached 5 cm in length and concluding upon its abscission. For each nutrient, a mathematical model was obtained to generate functions that predicted its concentration during the life of the leaf. Subsequently, we calculated the derivatives of each function, which enabled us to identify the period in which the concentration of nutrients presented the least variation and thus define the ALSP. In 'Ataúlfo', the ALSP for the SpVF and SuVF was from 9 to 11 and 3.3 to 5.3 months of age, respectively; in 'Kent', this period was from 8 to 10.5 (SpVF) and 3.2 to 5.0 (SuVF) months, and in 'Tommy Atkins' it corresponded to leaves from 8.7 to 12.2 (SpVF) and 8.6 to 9.4 (AVF) months. The mathematical procedure used was adequate to identify the ALSP in the three mango cultivars.

Keywords : Mangifera indica; vegetative flushes; mineral nutrition; leaf analysis.