Vol. 119 (2006): Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society
Citrus

Fertilization of young 'minneola' tangelo trees with banded poultry litter overlaid with wood chips

James Ferguson
University of Florida

Published 2006-12-01

Keywords

  • soil fertility,
  • organic production,
  • tree yield,
  • animal manure,
  • equivalency value

Abstract

Poultry litter can be disked into the soil to conserve nutrients but this incorporation into soil can damage surface roots of citrus trees grown on bedded groves. Young 'Minneola' tangelo trees (Citrus reticulata Blanco Citrus paradisi Macf) on Cleopatra mandarin rootstock (C. reticulata Blanco) planted on bedded groves, were fertilized for 18 months after planting with surface-banded poultry litter (PL) overlaid with wood chips (WC). PL was applied at 25, 50, and 75 tons per treated acre per year in a 2-foot wide band within the dripline and overlaid with 50, 100, and 150 tons of WC per treated acre per year. Other treatments included poultry litter applied at 20 tons per treated acre per year to a 10-foot wide strip in the middle of the bed twice a year and 1 pound of controlled release fertilizer (10-2.5-3) applied three times per year within the dripline. After 18 months, trunk diameter and plant height of plants receiving all treatments were generally similar except for trees to which poultry was applied in the bed middle, suggesting that the lowest PL/WC rate was adequate for tree growth during this time.