Effect of Calcium, Zinc and Boron Treatments on Flowering, Yield and Fruit Quality of Mango Ewais Cultivar

Abstract

This experiment was carried out during 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 seasons on 15 years old of mango Ewais cultivar trees grown in the Mansoura Horticulture Research Station Experimental Farm located at(latitude 31°07'47.7N,longitude 31°28'13.7E)to investigate the efficacy of calcium,cinc and boron foliar application individually or in combinations at different times and concentrations on flowering, yield and fruit quality.The results indicated that,all tested treatments increased reproductive parameters,yield and fruit quality compared with control.Spraying 2.5 ml/L of each calcium,zinc and boron combination increased panicle length and sex ratio,while spraying 2.5 ml/L of boron alone led to an increase in the male and total number of flowers,but,spraying 2.5 ml/L of zinc alone increased the hermaphroditic flowers.Trees sprayed with 2.5 ml/L of calcium individually produced the highest number of fruits and yield per tree followed by boron treatment,but trees sprayed with the combination of three elements gave the highest fruit height,width and volume.Meanwhile,the individual zinc treatment was superior for fruit weight followed by the high level of combination treatment.Foliar application of individual boron or in combination with calcium and zinc improve fruit TSS and TSS/acid ratio and decrease the acidity.Trees sprayed with 2.5ml/L of calcium,zinc and boron in combination resulted the highest values of leaf Ca, Zn and B content followed by1.25ml/Lof the same combination.On the other side, the individual tested elements leads to increasing the corresponding leaf content of each one. It could be recommended that spraying calcium,zinc and boron combination at 2.5ml/L four times is the best treatment for increasing yield and fruit quality