Comparison of leaf and root nutrients concentration in twenty olive cultivars grown on a calcareous soil

Comparing the absorption and translocation efficiency of the nutrients in olive cultivars can lead to the selection of cultivars with higher efficiency. This research was conducted with the aim of comparing the uptake and translocation capacity in 20 olive cultivars (12 domestic and 8 foreign) in a commercial orchard on calcareous soil in a randomized complete block design. Except for copper (Cu), leaf concentration of other elements was within the optimal range. In ʻAmphesis,' high translocation (5.28%) and in ʻAmigdalolia,' high uptake capacity (12.6) caused an increase in leaf phosphorus (P). Leaf K in all cultivars was higher than the deficiency limit (0.77%). In none of the cultivars, leaf sodium (Na) concentration was higher than the toxicity limit (0.2%), it accumulated in the root of ʻZard-Aliabad' and ʻShengeh,' and reduced in their leaf. Leaf iron (Fe) concentration of all cultivars was in the sufficient range (>63 mg kg−1) and the highest was in ʻGorgan-A' and ʻZard' and the lowest in ʻKazeroon,' ʻArbequina' and ʻMission.' Although the leaf Cu in ʻAmphesis' (4.32 mg kg−1) and ʻArbequina' (4.03 mg kg−1) was above the sufficient limit, in the rest of the cultivars it was below this critical limit. The highest leaf manganese (Mn) concentration (61.35 mg kg−1) and the highest Mn translocation percentage (84.59) were in ʻFeshomi.' Among these cultivars, ʻAmphesis' was higher than others in terms of P, potassium (K), Cu and zinc (Zn) leaf concentrations and ʻAmigdalolia in terms of P, K and Zn, and in most cases the reason for this is the higher translocation efficiency.