Mineral Composition in The Ecosystems of Fruit Trees in Egypt Citrus reticulata, Blanco. and Citrus aurantium, L.

The study aims at estimating the mineral nutrient composition of Citrus reticulata, Blanco.(Balady mandarin) and Citrus aurantium, L. (Sour orange) and its relation to soil factors in
five different ecosystems in Egypt. The results indicated that Na, Mg and Fe were optimum
or excessive in all locations, while K was the only element which exhibited a low or
deficient range. The high percentage of CaCO3 (about 25%) may cause antagonism with
K uptake, so foliar application of K-fertilizers is more appropriate to correct K deficiency in
Citrus locations. The leaf enrichment factor (LEF= element concentration in leaves/element concentration in soil) ratio was relatively higher for N, P, K, Ca and Fe in
sandy soil, for Mg in sandy and sandy loam, for Na in sandy and clayey and for Cu and Mn in sandy loam soil. Step-wise multiple regression model reveals that pH and CaCO3 concentration of soil were the most affecting factors on the concentration levels of more than 50% of the total elements in the two species.