USING SOME HERBEL WATER EXTRACTS AS A NUTRIENT FOLIAR SPRAY IN THE PRESENCE OF DIFFERENT MINERAL FERTILIZER LEVELS FOR IMPROVING YIELD AND QUALITY OF TOMATO FRUITS AND BROAD BEAN PODS

Abstract

Tow field experiments were conducted during the two successive winter seasonsof 2016/ 2017 and 2017/2018 in the Experimental Farm of Kaha Station, Qalubia Governorate on broad bean cv. luz de tout and during summer season of 2017- 2018 in the location of Vegetable Research Departments, Horticulture Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Dokki on tomato Alissa hybrid. The aiming of the experiments were to examine the effect of three rates of mineral fertilizers NPK, i.e.100% (as control), 75% and 50% either for broad bean or tomato and four safety materials, i.e. water (as control),seaweed extract (Tohlob gel) at 0.5 g/l,goosefoot extract andstingingnettle extract at two concentrations (10 and 20% of each) as foliar spray and their interactions on the vegetative growth, yield and its components of tomato and broad bean plants. Tomato fertilized with 75% of the recommended rate of NPK and sprayed with stinging nettle extract at 20% gave the highest value for each of vegetative growth parameters in both growing season. Moreover, as general the results showed that all treatments used, especially plants fertilized with 50% or 75% of the recommended rate of NPK and sprayed with goosefoot extract or stinging nettle extract at 20% of each, increased thetotal yield and its components, whereas decreased the percentage of infested fruits by blossom end rot disease compared with the control. The highest value of VC was obtained from using seaweed extract and fertilization by 50% of recommended NPK rate. On the contrary, the highest value of Juice acidity was recorded by the control treatment. Fertilizing with 100% of the recommended fertilization and foliar spray with goosefoot extract at 20% gave the highest value for each of total sugar (%) and K (%). All treatments had no significant impact on fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit shape, fruit firmness, flesh thickness and number of loculi. From forgoing results it could be concluded that, spraying tomato plants with goosefoot extract or stinging nettle extract at 20% of each gave the highest value for each of vegetative growth and total yield under fertilizing with 50% or 75% of the recommended fertilization. Regarding to broad bean, results indicated that, adding 75% followed by 50% of the recommended mineral fertilization and spraying by goosefoot extract at 20% concentration gave the highest values of all vegetative growth parameters, except plant length which showed favorable result under 100% from fertilization and spraying the plants with nettle extract at 20% concentration and leaf area which increased by adding 100% of recommended fertilizer level and spraying plants with goosefoot extract at 20% concentration. Spraying broad bean plants with stinging nettle extract at 20% concentration under 50% of the recommended fertilization gave the highest value for each of pod diameter and weight of 100 fresh seeds. Total pod yield/fed significantly increased by adding 100% then 75% of the recommended fertilization and spraying the plants by goosefoot extract at 20% then 10%, respectively while spraying broad bean plants with goosefoot extract at 20% concentration under 50% fertilization significantly increased P and K(%) but spraying broad bean plants with 20% concentration under 75% of the recommended fertilization gave the highest value for each of N and protein (%)in both seasons. Generally spraying broad bean plants with goosefoot or stinging nettle extract at 10% concentration under 75% or 50% of the recommended fertilization led to increase total green pod yield and its components, in addition saving 25% to 50% of the recommended fertilization.