Nitrogen Rate Effects on Lemon Production, Quality and Leaf Nitrogen1

Abstract

Abstract ‘Prior Lisbon’ lemon trees were treated with increasing rates of N fertilizer up to 6 lb. N per tree per year. Likewise, ‘Monroe Lisbon’ lemon trees were treated with up to 4 lb. N per tree per year. Also, for the Trior Lisbon/one treatment was 6 urea foliage sprays per year which supplied about 2 lb. N per tree per year. For the Trior Lisbon’ there was a tendency for yields to increase with increasing N rates with the high rate yielding significantly more than the low rate. Yield was highly correlated with leaf N with maximum yield occurring at about 2.2% leaf N. Urea foliage sprays maintained leaf N and maximum yield. Fruit quality was not adversely affected by increasing N. As with Prior ‘Lisbon’, ‘Monroe Lisbon’ yields increased with increasing N but the maximum yield occurred at about 2.5% leaf N. Yields from single N applications were not different from split N applications.