Nutrient Management Decision Support Systems for Tree Crops

Decision support systems can help improving nutrient management in agricultural and forest ecosystems. We suggest that the practical components of nutrient management are 1) Diagnosis, 2) Prediction, 3) Economic analysis, and 4) Recommendations. Nutrient management and agronomic information for perennial crops such as peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) revealed important differences from annual crops because of differences in growth phases and in dominant nutrient processes in each of the phases. We recognize four phases in perennial crops 1) Nursery, 2) Establishment, 3) Fast-growth, and 4) Mature. In the Establishment phase, plant growth is highly dependent on soil properties, and there is more concern for soil nutrient intensity rather than quantity. Instead, large soil nutrient stores are needed in the Fast-growth phase not just high nutrient intensity. The nutrient status in the Mature phase is characterized by extensive recycling of nutrients already in the biomass and less dependence on soil nutrients. A decision support system for koa (Acacia koa A. Gray) would aid new koa stand establishment, and would be important to identify stands that are in need of management or in decline.