STUDIES ON THE SOILE OF APPLE ORCHARDS IN JAPAN

II ON THE SOILS OF THE APPLE ORCHARDS IN AOMORI PREFECTURE. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES IN GENERAL

Abstract

The soils of the apple orchards in Aomori Prefecture may be classified into three kinds; that is, ando soils, brown podzolic soils and alluvial soils. They have been studied with regard to both physical and chemical properties respectively. The soils show various mechanical compositions. Alluvial soils are rather clayey, ando soils and brown podzolic soils being loamy. The reaction is mostly acidic or weakly acidic. The contents of the main nutrients of the surface soils are as followings:
highest lowest average Humus 22.75% 3.13% 10.26% N 0.806% 0.112% 0.457% P₂O₅ (soluble in 1/5 N HCl) 0.0672% 0.0064% 0.0244% K₂O (ditto) 0.2557% 0.0319% 0.0861%
These contents generally decrease with depth.
From the data obtained it may be concluded that the orchard soils of Aomori Prefecture have rather desirable properties for apple growings, both chemically and physically.