EFFECT OF COMPOST, FOLIAR SPRAYING WITH POTASSIUM AND BORON ON GROWTH, YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF STRAWBERRY

Abstract

This work was carried out in the two successive summer season plantations of 2006/ 2007 and 2007/2008 on strawberry cv. Sweet Charlie at south Tahrir district, newly reclaimed sand soils at Experimental Station Farm, Horticultural Research Station, Behiera Governorate, to study the influence of compost manure at a rate of 20 t/fed. compared with mineral nitrogen fertilizer at a rate of 200 kg N/feddan (100 % of the recommended rate as a check) and complied with foliar spraying of potassium ( 46% K2O) as potassium citrate at a doses of 1% and/or boron 50 ppm on plant growth, yield and its components, fruit quality as well as chemical contents. A randomized complete block design with three replications was used in both growing seasons. The results indicated that plant growth characters (plant length, number of crowns, number of runners, number of leaves and foliage fresh and dry weight, likewise, early yield, total yield and marketable yield gave the highest values with the treatment which received mineral nitrogen fertilizer combination with foliar spraying of potassium and boron and total titratable acidity were the highest with the plants supplied mineral nitrogen fertilizer alone. Moreover, potassium percent in the leaves and the fruits were recorded with mineral nitrogen fertilizer combination with foliar application potassium and boron and/or potaasium alone in the first and seconed season. On the same trend, the highest values of average fruit weight, total soluble solids and vitamin C as well as fruit juice % with plants supplied by compost manure with foliar spraying by potassium and boron in both growing seasons. On the other hand, the lowest value of fruit moisture % in the fruits and unmarketable yield were obtained when plants applied by compost manure with foliar addition of potassium and boron.