Effect of Spraying Algae Extract and Potassium Nitrate on the Yield and Fruit Quality of Barhee Date Palms

Abdullah Alebidi,Khalid Almutairi,Mohamed Merwad,Rashid Al-Obeed,Mohamed Saleh,Ahmed Elsabagh,Nagah Ashour,Essam Mostafa

doi:10.3390/agronomy11050922

Abstract

The effect of foliar spray with algae extract and/or potassium nitrate on the quantity and quality of Barhee date palm yields was investigated during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Inflorescences of Barhee date palms were sprayed twice, after pollination (1st April of each season) and one month later, with algae extract at concentrations of 0.5% and 1.0% and with potassium nitrate at concentrations of 1% and 2% applied individually or in combinations. The obtained results showed that all of the sprayed treatments enhanced the yield and fruit properties when compared to the controls. Spraying inflorescences of Barhee date palms with algae extract and/or potassium nitrate had a significant effect on the yield and on the physical and chemical properties of the fruit when compared with the untreated palms. The increase in yield and qualitative properties was associated with increasing concentrations of both materials (algae extract and potassium nitrate). The best results were detected with spray containing high rates of combined treatment (1% algae extract + 2% potassium nitrate) applied twice in both seasons studied because this treatment resulted in the highest value of fruit and bunch weight, increased the yield per palm compared to the control by about 60.2%, and improved the fruit physical properties (fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit shape index, flesh weight, and seed weight) and fruit chemical properties (total soluble solids (TSS); acidity; TSS/acid ratio; tannins; and reducing, nonreducing, and total sugars) of the Barhee date palm given the experimental conditions.

Highlights

This experiment was conducted in two successive seasons to study the effect of foliar sprays using algae extract and potassium nitrate on the fruit yield and yield per palm as well as the fruit physical and chemical properties of the Barhee date palms grown in a private orchard located 63 km from Cairo on Alex Desert Road, Egypt
El-Motty [3] showed that spraying Keitte mango trees once at full bloom with 2% algae plus 0.2% yeast solution was very effective at improving fruit set, fruit retention, and the number of fruits per tree; at increasing fruit length, fruit width, fruit weight (g), and pulp/fruit percentage; and at enhancing total soluble solids (TSS)
The combination of algae extract at 1% concentration + potassium nitrate (KNO3) at 2% concentration resulted in the highest values of both fruit and bunch weight per palm for both seasons, followed by the combination of algae extract at 0.5% + KNO3 at 1%

Summary

Introduction

This experiment was conducted in two successive seasons to study the effect of foliar sprays using algae extract and potassium nitrate (in different concentrations, applied either individually or in combinations) on the fruit yield and yield per palm as well as the fruit physical and chemical properties of the Barhee date palms grown in a private orchard located 63 km from Cairo on Alex Desert Road, Egypt. Seaweeds contain various trace elements (Fe, Cu, Zn, Co, Mo, Mn, and Ni), vitamins, amino acids, and plant growth hormones (IAA, IBA, and cytokinins), which have many beneficial effects on plant growth and development [2] In this regard, El-Motty [3] showed that spraying Keitte mango trees once at full bloom with 2% algae plus 0.2% yeast solution was very effective at improving fruit set, fruit retention, and the number of fruits per tree (kg/tree); at increasing fruit length (cm), fruit width (cm), fruit weight (g), and pulp/fruit percentage; and at enhancing total soluble solids (TSS). The aim of this work is to determine the suitable concentration of algae (0.5 or 1.0%) and potassium (1.0 or 2.0%) to be used as a Particle Size Distribution (%)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion