MARINE ALGAE EXTRACTS, AND NANO FERTILIZER WITH ZINC AND COPPER EFFECTS ON GROWTH, AND MACRO- AND MICRONUTRIENTS COMPOSITION OF APPLE TREES

Abstract

Bioactive compound marine algae extracts (MAE), nano-zinc (nZn) and nano-copper (nCu) fertilizer effects on growth traits, and macro– and micronutrient composition in apple trees were studied. The recent study was carried out in 2021 at the laboratories of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Gardening, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kufa, Kufa, Iraq, and Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, AL-Qasim Green University, Babylon, Iraq. In the conducted experiment, the treatments comprise the foliar application of marine algae extracts with two concentrations at 0.5 and 1 ml L-1, nZn at 1 and 2 g L-1, nCu at 1 and 2 g L-1, and a control in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that apple trees treated with marine algae extracts were superior in enhancing the shoot length, diameter, leaves per tree, leaf area, leaf dry matter, and percentages of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and copper (Cu). The other two treatments (nZn and nCu) also showed highest values for some characteristics and moderate values for other traits that excelled the control treatment. Zinc percentage was significant in apple tree leaves when treated with two concentrations of nZn (1, 2 g L-1) reaching 1.89% and 1.97%, respectively. The highest Cu percentages were recorded in the apple tree leaves treated with both concentrations of nCu (1, 2 g L-1) reaching 3.66% and 3.78%, respectively. The potassium percentage was significantly high in apple tree leaves for all the treatments. The control treatment was recorded with the lowest values in all the characteristics.