Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Tropical Fruits Dept., Horticulture Res. Institute, ARC.
2
Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition Dept., Soil, Water and environment Res. Institute
Abstract
The present study was carried out at a private orchard at El-Akrisha Kafr El-Dawar district, Behera Governorate, Egypt, on eight years old "Anna" apple trees (Malus domestica, Bork) buded on Balady rootstock during the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 growing seasons under surface irrigation system. This investigation aimed to study the response of Anna apple trees to organic amendment type (cattle (M1) and horse (M2) manures) with rate of 25 kg/tree/year (20 m3/fed/year), with two different types of potassium fertilizers (K2SO4 (SOP) & KCl (MOP) with three levels from each type (0,50 and 100kg K2O /fed/year). The results indicated that horse manure (M2) was more effective than cattle manure in improving the measured parameters (number of leaves/shoot, leaf area, number of flowers/ cluster, fruit set%, fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter as well as yield, anthocyanine %, starch%, TSS%, average fruit firmness (lb/inch2), total sugars%, acidity% and leaf NPK content). The data clarified that increasing the rate of potassium significantly increased all tested parameters for the two types of potassium fertilizers compared with control (zeroK2O). On the other hand, potassium chloride gave the best results to improve the studied characters compared with potassium sulfate. The results also indicated that the best treatment was when fertilizing Anna apple trees with horse or cattle manure with rate 20 m3/fed/year and applying 100 kg K2O (K2SO4 or KCl). The yield of these treatments reached 21 and 17 ton/fed for horse and cattle manure, respectively compared with control (11 ton/year).
mso-bidi-language:AR-EG'> Fruit color percentages had greater light intensity at all polyethylene films applications than light reflected from the other covering crops, compost organic matter and untreated trees. The same trend was found for anthocyanin contents in fruits at both seasons. Concerning the TSS % and acidity %, results showed that mulching treatments either with polyethylene or cover crops decreased the two parameters comparing with control treatment in both seasons, while the reverse was true for starch and total sugar contents. Moreover, the applied treatments increased significantly leaf and fruit N, P, K, Fe, Zn and Mn contents as compared with the control treatment in both seasons.
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