We compared tree growth and crown condition with soil and foliar elemental composition in 14 sugar maple (Acer saccharumMarsh.) stands in VT, USA, to evaluate if deficiencies or imbalances in cation nutrition were associated with growth and health reductions in native stands. The Till Source Model (TSM) was used to select study sites potentially high or low in calcium (Ca) by predicting the rel...

Plants adopt ecological strategy to resist environmental changes and increase their resource-use efficiency. The ecological strategy includes changes in physiological traits and leaf morphology, which may result in simultaneous variations in foliar N concentration and the ratio of intercellular CO2 concentration to ambient CO2 concentration (ci/ca). This in turn links to foliar carbon isotope d...

Surface mining in Appalachia disrupts large areas of forested land. Federal and state laws require disturbed lands be reclaimed by re-constructing the landscape and replacing soil materials to provide a rooting medium. If insufficient quantities of native topsoil are available, substitute materials derived from the overburden may be used as soil media. This study examined soil and foliar nutrie...

Advanced site-specific determination of grain protein content by remote sensing can provide opportunities to optimize the strategies for purchasing and pricing grain, and to maximize the grain output by adjusting field inputs. Field experiments were performed to study the relationship between grain quality indicators and foliar nitrogen concentration. Foliar nitrogen concentration at the anthes...

Therefore, the objective of the current research was to investigate the effects of foliar B nutrition on seed protein, oil, fatty acids, and sugars under water stress conditions. A repeated greenhouse experiment was conducted using different maturity group (MG) cultivars. Plants were well-watered with no foliar B (W - B), well-watered with foliar B (W + B), water-stressed with no foliar B (WS -...

The objective of this study is to identify an adequate zinc (Zn) foliar spray concentration which corrects Zn deficiency without disrupting other plant mineral contents, enhances plant growth, and thereby corn silage yield when grown on sandy soil. A field experiment was conducted using five Zn foliar spray concentrations (w/v): 0.03%, 0.07%, 0.10%, 0.14% and 0.18%. Zn sulfate (ZnSO4. 7H2O) was...

Potassium (K) performs multiple essential functions in the plant, including enzyme activation and osmotic regulation. Citrus fruit quality gains considerable influence from potassium fertilizer rate, application method, sources used. The conducted field experiment assessed impact response of different levels K applications on yield parameters citrus fruit, determining a suitable time, stage, do...

There seems to be conflicting information about foliar fertilizers and their timing of application to cotton. Much of the confusion lies in the variety of fertilizer products available. A cotton fanner now has a choice of applying foliar fertilizers (according to fertilizer labels) beginning at the first true leaf stage and continuing until defoliation. This newsletter will focus on available i...