Mango performance as affected by the soil application of zeolite and biochar under water salinity stresses

Abstract

This study was carried out during two consecutive seasons, 2020 and 2021, on 12-year-old mango (Mangifera indica L.). cv. Ewaise grown in region Idku, El Beheira Governorate, Egypt. The trees were planted at 5 × 4 m apart and grafted on “Sokary” root stock to study the influence of zeolite and biochar on growth, yield, and fruit quality of “Ewaise” mango cultivar irrigated by agricultural drainage water. The trees were treated by the following treatments: zeolite or biochar solely at 1, 2, and 3 kg for tree and their different combinations such as 1 kg zeolite + 1 kg biochar; 1 kg zeolite + 2 kg biochar; 1 kg zeolite + 3 kg biochar; 2 kg zeolite + 1 kg biochar; 2 kg zeolite + 2 kg biochar; 2 kg zeolite + 3 kg biochar; 3 kg zeolite + 1 kg biochar; 3 kg zeolite + 2 kg biochar; and 3 kg zeolite + 3 kg biochar as well as control zero soil application. The obtained results showed that the soil application of zeolite or biochar gave a positive effect on improving the soil characteristics which reflects on the tree trunk thickness, shoot length and thickness, number of inflorescences, yield in kg per tree, and fruit quality. The greatest positive effect on the previous mentioned parameters was obtained by the combined application of the soil application of 2 kg zeolite + 3 kg biochar; 2 kg zeolite + 2 kg biochar; 3 kg zeolite + 2 kg biochar; and 3 kg zeolite + 3 kg biochar over the rest-applied treatments or control in the two seasons.