Effect of N fertilizer on autumn floral flush and cladode N in prickly pear(Opuntia ficus-indica(L.) Mill.)

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Abstract
Field studies were conducted to determine the effect of N fertilizer on the autumn flush in prickly pear. Eight year old plants were supplied with different doses of N fertilizer (0,30, 60,120 kg/ha) and with a combination of N, P, K (60,25 and 6 kg ha-1 respectively) at the end of the summer. Emergence of buds which were floral buds only, commenced two weeks after the end of the fertilizer application and terminated after four weeks. The number of floral buds per plant was very small in control plants, increased with increasing N supply and was not affected by P and K in fertilized plants. Application of N increased total N concentration in cladode tissue, reflecting a rise in nonsoluble-N, soluble reduced-N, and nitrate. The number of floral buds was highly correlated with soluble reduced-N concentration at the beginning of the autumn flush. Of the soluble reduced-N compounds measured in cladodes, glutamine and putrescine showed changes related to N nutrition. In the following spring both vegetative and floral buds were formed. The number of floral buds was 4-5 times higher in all treatments than bud production in the autumn high-N treatment, and not related to the N content of the plants. Therefore it is possible that in the winter inductive conditions are available for bud initiation, and loading the plant with N induces processes which promote out-of-season flower bud initiation.

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