Evaluation Efficacy of Some Combinations of Organic Fertilizers on Productivity, Fruit Quality and Nutritional Status of Wonderful Pomegranate

Abstract

T O EVALUATE efficacy of fertilizing with different combinations of organic fertilizers on yield, fruit quality and nutritional status of "Wonderful" pomegranate trees, a field experiment was carried out in "Hegazi farm" located in Cairo to Alexandria desert road, Egypt. during three growing seasons 2016, 2017 and 2018 on nine years old pomegranate trees cv. 'Wonderful' growing in sandy loam soil under 62% shading. Nitrogen requirements were added from different combinations of commercial organic fertilizers such: Compost (COM), Chicken Manure (CHM), Cattle Manure (CAM) and Mineral Fertilizer (MF) by the rate 40 kg actual N fed-1 with or without humic acid addition. The experiment consists of ten treatments spread in a randomized complete block design with five replicates. Fertilizing with (50% (CHM)+ 50% (COM)), (50% (COM) + 50% (CAM) and (33.3% (CHM) + 33.3% COM) + 33.3% (CAM) + humic) enhanced vegetative growth, yield. Fertilizing with (50% (CHM) + 50% (COM) + humic) and (33.3% (CHM) +33.3% (COM) +33.3% (CAM) + humic) improved fruit physical properties like (arils weight, juice weight and juice volume). Fertilizing with, (50% (COM) + 50% (CAM) + humic) gave the highest content of TSS%, TSS/acid ratio & ascorbic acid and least content of acidity. So it could be recommended by, fertilizing "Wonderful" pomegranate trees by one of these treatments (50% CHM +50% COM + humic), (50% COM +50%CAM+ humic) and (33.3% CHM+33.3% COM+33.3% CAM +humic) by the rate of 40 kg actual N fed-1 to improve yield, fruit quality and nutritional status.