Responses of Growth, Yield, and Post-Harvest Quality of Onion Grown in Calcareous Soil to Bio-Stimulants, Starter Fertilizer, and Calcium Silicate 1. Responses of Post-Harvest Quality of Onion Grown in Calcareous Soil to Bio-Stimulants

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Vegetable Crops Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt

2 Vegetable Crops Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt.

3 pant pathology department, The City of Scientific Research and Technological

10.21608/asejaiqjsae.2025.463354

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the pre-harvest impact of fulvic acid (FA; 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 g L⁻¹) and cyanobacteria (CB; 0, 2, 4, and 6 kg fed⁻¹) as bio-stimulants for improving the post-harvest quality of onion (Allium cepa L.) bulbs grown in calcareous soil. Two parallel field and storage experiments were conducted during the 2021/2022 growing season at the Experimental Farm of the City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Borg El-Arab, Alexandria, and at a private farm in the Bangar El Sokar region, El-Behira Governorate, Egypt. Field experiments followed a split-plot system in a randomized complete block design with three replications, while storage experiments were arranged in a split–split-plot system in a randomized complete block design, with bulbs stored for 2, 4, and 6 months. The application of FA and CB significantly improved bulb storability compared with untreated controls. The combined treatment of FA at 1.0 g L⁻¹ with CB at 2–4 kg fed⁻¹ consistently minimized weight loss, mold incidence, and sprouting after six months of storage, whereas control bulbs exhibited the highest rates of deterioration.
These findings demonstrate that fulvic acid and cyanobacteria act as an effective, eco-friendly bio-stimulants to enhance the post-harvest quality of onion bulbs under Egyptian conditions. Their adoption offers a practical strategy to mitigate post-harvest losses and promote sustainable onion production systems.

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Alexandria Science Exchange Journal
Volume 46, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
OCTOBER- DECEMBER
December 2025
Pages 871-883

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