Comparison of the Two Methods for the Analysis of Petiole Nitrate Nitrogen Concentration in Irrigated Cotton

Abstract

A study was conducted in Arizona in 1997 with the objective of analyzing the accuracy of a recently developed portable nitrate meter (Cardy meter) to effectively measure petiole nitrate - nitrogen (NO₃-N) in irrigated cotton (Gossvpium sue.). This task was accomplished by performing correlation and linear regression analyses on NO₃-N concentrations of cotton petiole sap, as measured by the Cardy meter, against the standard procedure NO₃-N analysis, as measured by an ion selective electrode (ISE). Results revealed that the NO₃-N concentrations of petiole sap were highly correlated with dried petiole NO₃-N (pearson correlation coefficient = 0.96, P < 0.0001). A regression equation with an r² = 0.92 was derived: Y = 9.96X - 1170.86, where X and Y are NO₃-N in petiole sap (ppm) and dried petioles (ppm), respectively. These results suggest that the sap analysis using the Cardy meter is a potentially valuable tool to monitor the in-season N status of irrigated cotton.