Mineral Nutrition of Fruit Trees

Dear Colleagues,

The correct management of the nutrition of fruit tree species is essential in order to promote fruit yield and quality, which are essential features of modern agriculture. In addition, today, fruit arboriculture has to cope with, among others, a reduction of fertile soils because of events of salinization and changes in the rainfall pattern worldwide, due to climate change. Those events seriously alter fruit tree species performances by altering the plant allometry, nutritional status, hydraulic features and water relations, photosynthetic process, and the nutritive and nutraceutical value of fruits. As is also well-known, the rootstock affects various aspects of trees nutrition, having a more critical role nowadays because of intensive production systems, different farming systems (biological, integrated, and conventional), and a plethora of new elite cultivars. Therefore, it is essential to create knowledge on how to correctly manage the mineral nutrition of fruit tree species in order to avoid both nutrient deficiency and excess in the context of environmental changes and new-innovative orchard management tactics. This Special Issue is devoted, but not restricted to, the following: (i) creating knowledge about the utilization of macro- and micro-nutrients by different families and species of widely cultivated fruit species; (ii) gaining insight into how abiotic stresses (e.g., drought, salinity, and waterlogging), growing systems, and/or cultural techniques (e.g., irrigation, fertigation, foliar fertilization, use of nano-fertilizers, pruning, grafting, and girdling) affect fruit trees’ nutritional status and nutrient requirements; (iii) increasing the knowledge of the pre- and post-harvest physiological disorders attributable to mineral imbalance; and (iv) proposing new methods and models to correctly manage the fertilization of fruit tree species in the orchard or in pots. Review articles and viewpoints related to the topic of the Special Issue are also welcome.

Dr. Ioannis E. Papadakis
Dr. Marco Landi
Guest Editors

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