EFFECT OF FOLIAR SPRAY WITH SOME CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES ON GROWTH, YIELD AND REDUCING FRUIT SUNBURN OF MURCOTT MANDARIN TREES

AbdElfatah, Mahmood M.A.; Nomier, Safaa A.; Gad, M.M.M.; Mahmood, Doaa S.

doi:10.21608/zjar.2024.367200

EFFECT OF FOLIAR SPRAY WITH SOME CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES ON GROWTH, YIELD AND REDUCING FRUIT SUNBURN OF MURCOTT MANDARIN TREES

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Hort. Dept., Fac. Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt

10.21608/zjar.2024.367200

Abstract

This study was conducted on 4-year-old Murcott mandarin (Citrus reticulata L.) treesthat were budded on Volkamer lemon (Citrus volkameriana L.) trees grown in sandy soil at a distance of 3×6 meters under drip irrigation in a private citrus orchard in the Wady El-Mollak region of the Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. The study was conducted over the course of two consecutive seasons, 2020 and 2021. Nine treatments were applied in this experiment as follow:T1-Control (water spray), T2-4% kaolin (Al₄Si₄O₁₀ (OH)₈), T3-4% potassium silicate (K₂SiO₃), T4- 4% calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), T5-2 cm/l metalusite, T6-1% titanium oxide nano particles (Ti₂O₃ NPs), T7-4% titanium oxide normal particles (Ti₂O₃), T8-1% zinc oxide nano particles (ZnO NPs) and T9-4% zinc oxide normal particles (ZnO). The results indicated that all treatments increasedtotal yield pertree (kg) and perfeddan (ton) and fruit weight (g) and also fruits number/tree compared to control treatment.The highest total yield was gained by trees sprayed withMetalusite, titanium oxide, zinc oxide in two forms nano and normal without differences between them in the two seasons.The trees sprayed with Metalusite or titanium oxide nano particles gained leastnumber andpercentagesof sunburned fruits/tree in both seasons, followed by trees sprayed with titanium oxide normal particles.The longest branch was recorded for trees sprayed with potassium silicate, Metalusite, titanium oxide nano and normal particles in the two seasons. The thinner branches were for control trees in the both seasons. The highest number of leaves per branch were gained for trees sprayed with titanium oxide nano particles, while, lowest number of leaves/branch were for trees sprayed with kaolin in the two seasons. The largest leaf area was recorded for trees sprayed by Metalusiteand zinc oxide nano ornormal particlesfollowed by trees sprayed with titanium oxide nano or normal particles, while, the smallest leaf area was forcontrol trees in the two seasons. The uppermost values of leaf fresh and dry weights (g) were for trees sprayed by titanium oxide or zinc oxide in nano or normal particles followed by trees sprayed with Metalusite in the both seasons. All tested trees gave leaves contained higher total chlorophyll insignificant differences between them compared to theuntreatedcontrol in the two seasons.

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