Floral analysis as a possible tool for the prognosis of iron deficiency in peach

In this work we have explored the possibility of using the concentration of iron in whole peach flowers to predict the occurrence of iron chlorosis later in the season. Fifty peach trees per orchard were used in an orchard in Spain (in the years 1993 and 1995) and in two orchards in Italy (in 1995). The iron concentration in flowers was determined and the leaf chlorophyll concentration was estimated with a SPAD apparatus 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 days after full bloom. We have found high correlations between the iron concentration in flowers and the leaf chlorophyll concentrations measured at different times during the year in the Spanish orchard, in the two years studied. However, the correlation was not significant in the orchards studied in Italy. The possible causes for the differences between the two sets of data are discussed.