Agricoltura Mediterranea Vol. 4, 1996

Soil Characteristics And Nutritional Survey Of The Mastic Tree (Pistacia Lentiscus, Var Chia) On The Island Of Chios In Greece

S.P. Theocharopoulos1, M. Karayianni-Christou1, A. Trikatsoula1, T. Nikolaou1, S. Aggelides2 

1N.AG.RE.F., Soil Science Institute of Athens, Lycovrissi, Greece; 

2Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera odos, 11855 Athens, Greece. 

Summary 

The soils on which the mastic trees are grown were studied and a Nutritional Survey of mastic trees was carried out for two years in the southern part of the Greek island of Chios, where this tree exclusively grows and where mastic gum is produced. Soil and leaf samples from twenty representative fields, with the two mastic tree clones Mauroschinos and Choraphlitis, were analysed for two successive years in July. Soils are shallow to deep, fine textured and mostly calcareous. The nutrient concentration in the leaves from different fields and for both clones did not present significant variations from location to location due to the fact that the deeper soil horizons, where the root system is developed, have about the same nutrient supply power. Significant differences, between clones, were found in the leaf concentrations for N, Ca and Mn but not for K, P, Zn and Mg.The average reference concentrations of nutrients in the leaves, in the month of July, in Mauroschinos were: N: 1.45%, P: 0.068%, K: 0.98%, Ca: 1.08%, Mg: 0.24%, Mn: 23 ppm and Zn: 10.9 ppm, while in Choraphlitis it was: N: 1.37%, P: 0.071%, K: 1.035%, Ca: 1.14%, Mg: 0.23%, Mn: 21 ppm and Zn: 11.04 ppm.

Key words: 

Pistacia Lentiscus var. Chia, Nutritional Survey N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn leaf concentrations, soil characteristics.