The nutritional status and the tree phenology of selected fruit trees in three different agro-ecological zones of Malaysia.
Anuar A. R., Yaacob O., Mohd. Radzi M. N.
Author Affiliation: Soil Science Department, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
: 545-552
Abstract : The relationship between nutritional status and tree phenology was investigated in 3 agro-ecological regions for mangoes (north, dry), cashews (east, monsoon area) and durians (central, wet). Details of soils and climate are given. In the dry region there was a weak relationship between soil moisture content in the wet season and the nutrient concentration in mango leaves. Foliar Ca content increased as the trees aged. For cashews in the monsoon region the relationship was also unclear but the response to the low nutrient content of the sandy Spodosols differed between high yielding and low yielding trees. In the central wet region the foliar nutritional status of durians did not appear to be affected by either the tree phenology or the rainfall pattern, possibly due to the advanced age of the trees and the frequency of leaf flushing during sampling.