This study was conducted during 1999 and 2000 seasons on Amar apricot trees grown in the experimental farm at FacuIty of Agric., Moshtohor, Qalubia Governorate as atempt to improve the productivity and fruit quality by using yeast extract and/or kinetin applications.
Thus, foliar spray with yeast extract at 50,100 and 200 ml/L, kinetin at 10, 20 and 30 ppm and yeast extract at 100 ml/L + kinetin at 20 ppm, besides water spray as control were applied 2 times viz.: the first spray was at full bloom stage (i.e., February 18th 1999 and February 21st 2000) during 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively. While the second spray was after two weeks from the first one. The randomized complete block design with 3 replications was used for arranging these 8 spray treatments and evaluating their influence on the following measurements:
1- cropping indication (fruit set %; fruit retention% and yield Kg/tree); 2-fruit quality i.e. both physical (weight –size - flesh % and fruit firmness) and chemical properties (TSS %, acidity, T.S.S./ acid ratio, Vit.C, total sugar and reducing sugars content); 3- leaf &fruit N, P and K contents and leaf photosynthetic pigments content during three stages of fruit development.
Obtained data revealed that all cropping and fruit quality measurements positively responded to all applied yeast extract and kinetin treatments compared with the control. Yeast extract at 100 ml/L + kinetin at 20 ppm and yeast extract at 200 ml/L surpassed statistically other treatments. In addition, all applied yeast extract and kinetin treatments increased both leaf &fruit N, P and K contents as well as leaf photosynthetic pigments content during the certain three stages of fruit development compared with the control. Also, Yeast extract at 100ml/L + kinetin at 20 ppm gave the highest values in this respect.
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