Effect of Organic Fertilizers Extracts and Foliar Spray with Urea on Vegetative Growth Characteristics of Apricot ( Prunus armeniaca L.) Saplings CV. Labeeb

Abstract

The experiment was performed at Kirkuk Agriculture Directorate Nursery, during the 2015 growing season, on one year old apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) cv. Labeeb saplings which grafted on apricot seedlings rootstocks . The experiment aimed to study the effect of extracts of organic fertilizers and spraying of urea on vegetative growth of saplings. One hundred and eight (108) saplings of similar growth situation selected and planted in plastic sacks of 5 kg capacity. 400 ml of seaweed extract (E1), extract of cow manure (E2), sheep manure (E3), and poultry manure (E4), added to every sapling. In addition to that, the saplings sprayed with urea 0.5% ( U1 ) and 1% ( U2 ) concentrations whereas the control treatment was sprayed with a tap water ( U0 ) . These treatments were applied three times in the growing season. The results showed that, the chicken manure extract (E4) gave the best results for leaf area (8.27 cm 2) and increasing of sapling height (29.36 cm). the foliar spray of the higher concentration of urea (U2) gave the best results in leaf area (8.29 cm 2), while the first concentration of urea (U1) gave a higher values of leaves number per plant (304.8 leaf. Plant-1 ), total leaves area of sapling ( 2411.2 cm2 ) and increasing of sapling height (30.50 cm). The interaction treatments were differed with these actives , the treatment of interaction between extract of chicken manure and lower level of urea (E4U1) gave a higher values for chlorophyll content ( 18.48 SPAD ) and the increasing of sapling height ( 37.16 cm ) , while the treatment of interaction between chicken manure extract and the higher level of urea ( E4U2 ) gave a best results in leaf area (9.46 cm 2) and total leaves area of ​​sapling (2634.8 cm 2).