The effect of some soil properties on nutrient movement in sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) leaves

The aim of this research was to determine the movement of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) in sour cherry leaves depending on soil properties-soil moisture treatment (woodchip mulch and drip irrigation), the concentration of phosphorus and the C/N ratio in the soil. The concentration of phosphorus in the roots was investigated as well in the order to detect the differences of its uptake. The research was carried out in 2014, in Latvia State institute of Fruit-Growing. In sour cherry orchard different soil moisture treatments: drip irrigation, woodchip mulch and control variants, were arranged in the spring of 2007. The cultivars used in the study were 'Latvijas Zemais', 'Tamaris', 'Bulatnikovskaya', using as a rootstock seedlings of mahaleb cherry (Prunus mahaleb). The fertilization was done yearly according to results of soil analysis. The volumetric soil moisture was measured once in 7-14 days during vegetation period. Soil moisture varied from 14 to 28% depending on the date and treatment. The samples for soil and root analysis were collected in May of 2014, but for leaves analysis was done in August. The concentration of phosphorus was from 130 to 270 mg kg(-1) in the soil and from 0.20 to 0.27% in the roots. In sour cherry leaves the nitrogen concentration was from 1.9 to 2.4%, phosphorus concentration from 0.2 to 0.3%, but potassium concentration from 0.8 to 1.3%. The results varied depending both on the soil moisture treatment and sour cherry cultivar.