Abstract
The present investigation was undertaken during the selected two successive seasons of 2012 and 2013 on 12 years old Anna apple trees (Malus domestica, Borkh) budded on Shobra khan apple rootstocks. The selected trees were planted in a private orchard in Tanta, Gharbia Governorate, in clay soil and spaced at 3 x 4 meters apart. The trees were trained as open-vase form, irrigated by Nile water using surface irrigation (basing irrigation) system. The selected trees received the same horticultural practices and fertilization regime. The experiment was conducted on 60 apple trees Anna cv . in both seasons, ten treatments were carried out, each treatment replicated three times considering each two trees as a replicate using a split plot design , Humic and fulvic acids were added at 4 liter/fed. and mix with calcium nitrate ( 0.4 %) , zinc sulphate ( 250 ppm) and borax ( 20 ppm) as foliar spray at five development stages (at bud burst , fruit set, at the beginning of false coloring , at the end of false coloring and at the beginning of true coloring. Sprayed trees with fulvic acid at 4 liter/fad. and mixture of calcium nitrate (0.4 %) , zinc sulphate ( 250 ppm) and borax ( 20 ppm) at bud burst ( T6) significantly increased both leaf surface area and shoot length in both seasons. While T7 sprayed trees with fulvic acid at 4 liter/fed. and mix., calcium , zinc and boron after fruit set recorded the highest values of fruit number/tree, fruit weight and fruit volume, soluble solid content, soluble solid content /acid ratio and total sugars and decreased specific gravity in fruits in both seasons . fruit height and diameter were increased with sprayed trees with humic acid at 4 liter/fed and mixture of calcium nitrate ( 0.4 %) , zinc sulphate ( 250 ppm) and borax (20ppm) at the beginning of false coloring ) during the two seasons of study . The trees sprayed with humic acid at 4 liter/fad. and mixture of calcium nitrate (0.4 %), zinc sulphate (250 ppm) and borax (20 ppm) at beginning of true coloring and the end of false coloring on Apple fruits (T4 and T5) gave significant increase of fruit firmness in both seasons as compared to other tested treatments
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