Siberian C peach seedlings (Prunus persica L. Batsch) were grown for 35 days in all combinations of Long Ashton nutrient solution containing P concentrations of 0.05, 0.5, or 5.0 mM and root zone temperatures (RZT) of 8°C, 16°C, and 24°C. At harvest, a significant interaction between solution P concentration and RZT occurred for shoot and root dry weight, root length, shoot P concentration and shoot P uptake. At 8°C RZT, P concentration and uptake but not growth were increased by P. At 16°C and 24° C RZT, growth was depressed at the 5.0 mM P level with shoot P concentration and uptake lower at 24°C than 16°C. The inflow of P to the peach shoot per unit root length was increased at high P concentration and low temperatures but was lower than whole plant inflow rates for apples. The growth depression at high temperature-high P was related to increased young leaf chlorosis, reduced shoot Fe and a possible P/Zn imbalance.
INTRODUCTIONRoot-zone temperature (RZT) can strongly influence root and subsequent shoot development (1) and shoot mineral accumulation including P (2). However, only a few studies (3,4) have investigated the effects of RZT on fruit tree growth and nutrition. Phosphorus nutrition of fruit trees has also received little detailed attention since many early studies indicated few responses to P fertilization (5) and