Effect of Using Organic and Biofertilizers on Growth, Yield and Fruit Quality of "Anna" Apple Trees

Abstract

This investigation was undertaken to study the effects of different soil application of some biostimulants fertilizers on some vegetative growth, fruiting parameters and fruit quality as well as leaf nutrient content of "Anna" apple trees budded on MM106 rootstock grown under El-Kanater Horticultural Research Station conditions during 2013 and 2014 consecutive seasons. The obtained data displayed obviously that all treatments in this study resulted in a positive increase in all investigated vegetative growth measurements i.e., shoot length, number of leaves/shoot, leaf dry weight and leaf area. Furthermore, fruiting parameters (fruit set %, tree yield in kg and yield increment (%) in relation to the control) were increased when trees treated with all studied treatments in the two experimental seasons. Moreover, fruit quality including both fruit physical characteristics i.e., fruit weight, volume, firmness, height, diameter and fruit shape index and fruit chemical properties such as TSS %, acidity % and TSS/acid ratio were improved by subjected trees to different biostimulants treatments as compared with the control. In addition to that, leaf nutrient contents of some macro-elements (N, P and K) and some micro-nutrients (Fe, Zn and Mn) were improved from the standpoint of statistic by all investigated treatments as compared the control during both 2013 and 2014 seasons of study. In general, it could be concluded that, all investigated biostimulants treatments under study exhibited a significant and beneficial influences on most of parameters and characters of "Anna" apple fruit trees. However, the Humic acid treatment was the most effective for increasing both vegetative growth and fruiting parameters as well as improving majority of fruit quality and leaf nutrient contents of "Anna" apple trees.