A two year- trial was conducted during 2008 and 2009 seasons in a private orchard at El-Nubaria, Behaira
Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of some antioxidants i.e ascorbic acid and citric acid each at 1000 or
2000ppm and mixture of Fe, Zn and Mn at 100 or 200ppm as well as their combinations three times a year
started from the first week of March with two weeks intervals on tree growth, leaf mineral content, fruiting and
fruit quality of Canino apricot trees. All tested antioxidant and micronutrient treatments as well as their
combinations, improved vegetative growth traits i.e. shoot length, number of leaves/shoot and leaf area (cm2),
especially the high levels in both seasons. The highest leaf N, P and K content was gained by different tested
treatments particularly, the combination of ascorbic acid at 2000ppm and micronutrients at 200ppm in both
seasons. In addition, fruiting parameters i.e. fruit set and fruit yield (kg/tree) were greatly enhanced by the
antioxidants and micronutrients as well as their combinations in both seasons. Moreover, the best results of
fruiting parameters were existed with high level of antioxidant and micronutrient combinations in both seasons.
Furthermore, the heaviest fruit weight (g) and the highest T.S.S. %, V.C (mg/100 ml juice), total sugars % and
fruit firmness (lb/inch2) values as well as the lowest value of total acidity % were scored by the high level of
antioxidants and macronutrients as well as their combinations. |
