EFFECT OF FOLIAR SPRAY WITH ZINC AND BORON ON GROWTH, YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF STRAWBERRY (Fragaria × ananassa Duch cv. Camarosa) PLANTS GROWN IN SANDY SOIL

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Hort. Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

This experiment was carried out during  the two successive summer seasons of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 at EL-Kassasien Horticultural Research Station, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of foliar application with  ZnSO4 at rates of  0,150 and 200 mg/ l as and boric acid H3BO3 (17 % boron)at  rates 0, 100 and 150 mg/l on vegetative growth, photosynthetic pigments, chemical constituents in branches and fruit, yield productivity, fruit quality at harvest time Strawberry plants (Fragaria × ananassa Duch cv. Camarosa) grown under sandy soil conditions with drip irrigation system.
Result showed that spraying strawberry plant with 150 mg/ l  ZnSO4 or 150 mg/l H3BO3 significantly increased all studied parameters, such  as vegetative plant growth,  early and total yield  as well as fruit quality  in both seasons as compared to control treatment (0 mg/ l), which recorded the lowest values of all studied parameters. In generally, spraying plants with 150 mg/ l  ZnSO4+ 150 mg/ l H3BO3 gave the best results for increasing  plant growth , yield and its components as well as  fruit quality, i.e., Vit. C, TSS and total sugar in both seasons as compared other interaction treatments.
Conclusively, application of  ZnSO4 or H3BO3 at 150 mg/l of each alone or  mixture  improved vegetative growth in  the tested plants and  increased yield and fruit quality.
 
 

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