Influence of Elevating Tree Potassium on Fruit Drop and Yield of Pecan

Abstract

Excessive Stage II fruit drop (i.e., June drop) often limits profitability of certain pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) C. Koch] cultivars. Anecdotal evidence indicates that one cause of drop is linked to a nutrient element deficiency. This study examines the consequences of improving tree potassium (K) nutrition on fruit drop, nutmeat yield, and kernel quality (i.e., % kernel) in ‘Desirable’ orchards in which generally accepted foliar analysis standards indicate satisfactory tree K nutritional status (i.e., 0.75% or greater to 2.5% K/dry weight). Multiyear field studies of two such orchards found that elevating leaf and fruit K concentration through soil banding of potash over drip irrigation emitters: 1) increased fruit retention by reducing Stage II fruit drop; 2) increased in-shell nut yield; and 3) increased nut quality by increasing percentage kernel. Potash applied through soil banding elevated foliar and fruit K concentration by ≈ 0.1% to 0.4% units within a few months post-application depending on the amount applied; however, the beneficial effects of a single potash soil band application diminished after the first year. A comparison of the K concentration of retained fruit versus abscised fruit during the Stage II fruit drop window found that retained fruit possessed endogenous K concentrations of 1.2% to 1.7% (dry weight basis) in one orchard and 1.45% to 1.9% in a second orchard, whereas aborted fruit possessed K at 0.65% to 1.2% in one orchard and 0.75% to 1.2% in a second orchard, respectively, thus establishing ≈ 1.25% K as a “drop threshold” under conditions of this study. The total K concentration of retained fruit is typically 0.25% to 0.50 K/dry weight greater than dropped fruit. Considerable K-associated late-spring fruit drop can occur in ‘Desirable’, although early- to midsummer leaf analysis indicates trees were K-sufficient, hence implying that young fruit likely possesses a higher K requirement than does foliage. These K-associated benefits to trees meeting accepted K sufficiency criteria is evidence that K nutrition management of ‘Desirable’ pecan merits r-evaluation and possibly pecan K nutrition in general.