TISSUE ELEMENT CONCENTRATIONS AND MINERAL REMOVAL RATES IN HONEYBUSH TEA I: CYCLOPIA GENISTOIDES |
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| Authors: | M. E. Joubert J. Wooldridge M. Booyse |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Agricultural Research Council Infruitec-Nietvoorbij (The Fruit, Vine and Wine Research Institute of the Agricultural Research Council) , Stellenbosch, South Africa;2. Agricultural Research Council Biometry Unit , Stellenbosch, South Africa |
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| Abstract: | Results from a five year survey of honeybush (Cyclopia genistoides) in the Cape Floral Kingdom, South Africa, showed that concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium in the top growth of mature plants grown from seedlings were 1.29, 0.05, 0.53, 0.22 and 0.09%, respectively. Removal rates at each harvest were 8.23, 0.32, 3.38, 1.40 and 0.57 g of the respective elements per plant. These quantities were equivalent to 48% to 61% of the total mass of each element in the plant. Concentrations in the top growth of sodium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc and boron were, respectively, 1423, 16, 172, 5, 12 and 23 mg kg?1. Seedlings of C. genistoides reached their peak mass around five years after planting, and attained higher dry masses in plantations than in the open veld. Mature, plantation-grown C. genistoides plants yielded around 638 g of top growth dry mass per plant at each harvest. |
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| Keywords: | field survey macronutrition trace element nutrition |
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