Growth, yield and fruit quality of specialty banana in response to yeast extract and potassium amendments

Abstract

Nutrient and bio-stimulant amendments are important for growth, yield, and quality of fruit crops under environmentally stressed site conditions. Our field study was conducted to evaluate the effect of potassium fertilization and yeast extract on growth, yield and finger quality of banana grown under arid and semi-arid marginal site conditions in Egypt. Using different levels of Potassium at 500 & 1000 mg as a foliar application and yeast extract at one & two liters per plant as a drench soil application and their combinations doses added monthly six times during the period from October to March. The obtained results showed a positive correlation between the values of the studied parameters (growth, productivity and fruit quality) and the yeast and potassium levels. As a result, the parameters values increased as the yeast and the K2SO4 levels increased to a higher level during the two growing seasons. Herein, yeast extract 2000 ml + K2SO4 1000 mg/l/plant was statistically the superior. In addition, yeast extract 2000 liters + K2SO4 500 mg/l/plant statistically ranked 2nd after the above-mentioned superior treatment. On the contrary, the lowest values of these parameters were obtained by Control yeast extract 1 liter/plant. The remaining treatments have occupied an intermediate position between the treatments mentioned above in both seasons.