C/N RATIO AND NUTRIENT CONTENT IN PEACH BARK RELATED TO PEACH TREE SHORT LIFE

Abstract

ABSTRACT Peach Tree Short Life (PTSL) is a syndrome characterized by a plant collapse at the end of dormancy, which causes include several biotic and abiotic components. The aim of this study was to assess the C/N ratio and bark nutrients in symptomatic and asymptomatic short-life peach trees. Live tissue portions were removed from the bark of the main scaffolds of symptomatic and asymptomatic adjacent trees in nine commercial peach orchards located in Pelotas and Canguçu, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In laboratory, carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium(Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), boron (B) contents and C/N ratio were determined. The main component analysis of the study variables did not allow the formation of different groups between symptomatic and asymptomatic short-life peach trees. Peach trees with visible PTSL symptoms had higher N, P and K contents and lower C/N ratio in the bark of the main scaffolds in the early sprouting season.