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Background: Slow-release fertilizers (SRF) are quite numerous, and diverse group of materials are involved in the improvement of the effectiveness of fertilization, mitigation of the negative impact of fertilizers on the environment, and the reduction of labor and energy consumption connected with the application of conventional fertilizers. The objective of the experiment was to measure vegetative growth parameters and nutritional status of Nonpareil almond young trees under two types of slow-release compound fertilizers: Matador at 30, 60, and 120 kg/Feddan and Nitrophoska at (25, 50, and 100 kg/Feddan. The experiment was conducted in the Experimental Research Station of National Research Centre at Nubaria, El Behera governorate, Egypt, during successive growing seasons 2018 and 2019. Results: The results indicated that increasing doses of slow-release fertilizer significantly improved vegetative growth of trees. The highest dose of Nitrophoska had significantly higher stem length, diameter, numbers of branches and leaves/trees, leaf area, leaf chlorophyll content, leaf fresh and dry weight while the highest significant of specific leaf dry weight was obtained by applying the highest dose of Matador compared with control trees that received the fast-release fertilizer NPK 19:19:19 at 200 kg/Feddan. Leaf mineral contents of some macro (N, P, K and Mg) and micro elements (Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu) were significantly increased as a result of application with slowrelease fertilizers. Nitrophoska at 100 kg/Feddan gave the highest values of nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, and iron while Matador at 120 kg/Feddan gave the highest value of manganese. Matador at all doses resulted in a significant increment in phosphorus concentration in leaves in both seasons. Nitrophoska at 100 kg/Feddan and Matador at 120 kg/Feddan recorded the highest values of zinc and copper without significant differences between them. Conclusions: It could be concluded that application with slow-release fertilizers resulted in a positive and significant influence on most investigated vegetative growth measurements and leaf mineral contents of Nonpareil almond trees, since the application with Nitrophoska at 100 kg/Feddan was the most effective treatment for increasing growth measurements and improving leaf nutritional status of Nonpareil almond trees grown under Nubaria condition.

Background: Sowing time and suitable planting media are considered basic requirements to get the maximum yield and high profit for their direct and significant impact on seedlings quality and productivity of trees later. So this experiment has been carried out in a private nursery at Gharbiya Governorate, Egypt, during the seasons of 2016 and 2017 to study the effect of seven growing media (GM):

This experiment was carried out during the 2020 and 2021 seasons to evaluate the physiological and pathological effects of edible coating with gelatin 8%, clove oil 1%, and olive oil 1% separately, or gelatin incorporated with clove oil or olive oil, on maintaining quality and control blue mold development caused by Penicillium expansum on Anna apple fruits under cold storage conditions. In vitro, both oils were evaluated on linear growth of Penicillium expansum at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 1%. Clove oil at 1% had a high efficacy at inhibiting the mycelial growth of Penicillium expansum with 77.8%. The results showed that all studied coating treatments were effective in controlling blue mold in Anna apple during cold storage for 4 weeks in artificial infection and 12 weeks in natural infection compared to control. Also, all coating treatments had a significant effect on delaying changes in fruit weight loss percentage, color values (L* and h°), hardness, respiration rate, TSS: acid ratio, total phenolic content (TPC), and activities of peroxidase (POD) and catalysis (CAT), especially coating by gelatin mixed with olive oil. Therefore, it could be recommended that coating Anna apple fruits by gelatin 8% mixed with (clove oil 1% or olive oil 1%) to improve their quality and storability during cold storage.