Pome Fruits

Pome Fruits

Pome fruits is a general term for those plants which lack a stone inside the fruit and instead have a set of seeds known as pips. These fruits are derived from a thickened receptacle.

The most common pip fruit trees in Spain are: apple, pear, kiwi, quince, loquat, etc.

There are several signs that can be observed in a crop that demonstrate the lack of some of the necessary nutrients for the correct growth of the plant:

Macronutrients in pome fruits

Nitrogen:

Nitrogen deficiency usually appears in mid-summer. It manifests itself as a reddish colour in the tender stems of the bark. The apical leaves will lose chlorophyll and the edges will retract. Finally, there will be irregular ripening of the fruit.

Phosphorus:

Phosphorus-deficient plants have straw-green leaves with dry edges and tips. They produce scarce quantities of flowers and fruits. The pulp of the fruit displays brown soft areas. In advanced stages, soft fruits are observed with brown spots on the surface.

Potassium:

When the potassium supply to the plant is not sufficient, the branches begin to weaken. The leaves take on a reddish-brown colour and their edges bend towards the shaft. Finally, the fruits will have a lighter size and colour.

Magnesium:

A deficit of magnesium in the plant will be manifested as necrosis and spots in the leaves, in addition to loss of chlorophyll at the edges. The fruits will also have a smaller size and impaired resistance.

Microelements in pome fruits

Zinc:

Zinc deficiency may be identified by a loss of chlorophyll in the leaves (except in the central vein), which will also become narrower and bend their edges towards the shaft. The leaves will form a rosette and mottling will appear on the central pod. There may also be abnormal bud development.

Iron:

Iron is essential to the plant; any lack of it will cause the leaves to lose chlorophyll and take on a yellowish colour, and result in falling of the apical leaves. In the basal leaves, some brown spots will appear and will necrotise.

Manganese:

Symptoms of manganese deficiency may be more pronounced in early spring. The tree will stop growing. The leaves will lose their chlorophyll between the lateral veins, which will lead to premature falling of the leaves.

Copper:

The tree will acquire a stunted appearance due to the lack of copper. A yellowish colour will appear on the apical leaves and the tips of the shoots. In addition, the leaves will fall off, leaving the bare buds which will die and dry out.

Boron:

Boron deficiency in pip fruit trees is characterised by a necrosis in the nervation of the leaves, which will turn reddish. In addition, the flowers will dry out and the buds will fail. The fruits will be deformed and cracked, with consequent premature falling.

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