Efficient detection of nutrient deficiencies and development of corrections in avocado through the Compositional Nutrient Diagnosis (CND)

Abstract

Mexico is the main producer of avocado (Persea americana Mill.), contributing 31% of the world supply, which provides the country with an annual income of more than 2 billion dollars. The increase in national production is the result of a larger cultivated area, and not an increase in yields. In the State of Mexico, Mexico around 10 thousand hectares are cultivated with avocado trees, although 77% of the producers do not have specialized technical advice that offers reliable information on crop nutrition. This lack of advice and technical support detracts from volume and quality of production. The objective of this research was to carry out the nutritional diagnosis of an avocado orchard in Tejupilco, State of Mexico, Mexico, through the Compositional Nutrient Diagnosis (CND), and to generate specific fertilization recommendations for the study area, for which leaf and soil analyses were carried out. Each nutrient determined in the leaf analysis (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and B) was compared with its optimal concentration according to literature. The CND yielded relative deficiency or excess indices that determined the order of nutritional limitation. Zn, B, S, and K deficiencies were detected in all sampled areas, while P, Mn, and Cu were deficient only in some areas. N, Ca, Mg, and Fe did not show nutritional limitation. Recommendations were formulated to address each of the nutritional deficiencies and the problem of sodicity revealed by the soil analysis. This is the first work in which the CND is used to assess the nutritional situation of avocado orchards in the world.