Precision management of apple nutrition in poor and variable soil – notes

June 2016 | Prepared by Tienie du Preez | Future Orchards® notes

These notes accompany Tienie du Preez’s presentation on precision nutrition in poor and variable apple soils. They argue that successful nutrition programs must account for all major limiting factors rather than attempting to correct individual nutrients in isolation.

The notes discuss using technology and block-level information to optimise the base conditions for tree nutrition. Du Preez describes open-hydroponic style fertigation as one option for delivering balanced nutrient solutions directly through drip irrigation, helping reduce the influence of difficult or variable soils on nutrient availability.

The resource also describes data-driven systems that incorporate leaf analysis, previous foliar applications and block conditions into revised nutrient programs. The underlying principle is consistent throughout: precision nutrition requires an integrated understanding of the root environment, plant demand and the history of each block.