Open AccessIMPROVING FLOWERING AND FRUITING OF VALENCIA ORANGE TREES BY USING HUMIC ACID AND SOME BIOFERTILIZERS
Author(s) -
Hany El-Alakmy,
M. M. Ibrahim
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the future of agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2687-8216
pISSN - 2687-8151
DOI - 10.37229/fsa.fja.2020.01.20
Subject(s) - biofertilizer , humic acid , orange (colour) , horticulture , inflorescence , ascorbic acid , drip irrigation , rootstock , irrigation , biology , agronomy , botany , mathematics , fertilizer
This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of humic acid and biofertilization by Nitrobeinand rhizobacterin on flowering, yield and fruit quality of Valencia orange (Citrus sinenses) trees budded on sourorange rootstock and grown in a loamy sand soil under drip irrigation system at El-Kassasin HorticulturalResearch Station Farm, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt during two successive seasons 2017 and 2018. Fourdifferent doses of humic acid (0, 50, 100 and 150 g/ tree) and two types of biofertilizers i.e., nitrobein andrhizobacterin were added as soil application through drip irrigation (on distance 100-150 cm from tree trunk and30 cm depth around each tree) at three equal doses in February, April and June at the rate of 2 L/ fed. forfactorial experiment under two factors. The results indicated that all application of different levels of humic acidalone or in combination with biofertilizers had a positive effect on increased flowering characteristics, fruit setpercentage and total yield as well as improved fruit physical and chemical characters. In addition, interactiontreatment between rhizobacterin and humic acid at 150 g/ tree was the most effective treatment in enhancingflowering parameters (leafy inflorescences and flowering percentage on leafy and woody inflorescences) as wellas total yield, average fruit weight, total soluble solids (TSS), TSS/ acid ratio, vitamin C content and total sugarsand decreased the woody inflorescences %, percentages of both the total acidity and reducing sugars in fruitjuice. In addition, fruit set percentage, fruit juice weight and volume were the best on trees biofrtilized withnitrobein and humic acid at 150 g/ tree in both seasons.