EFFECT OF FOLIAR APPLICATION OF ASCORBIC ACID ON PLANT GROWTH, POWDERY MELDOW DISEASE, CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, FRUIT YIELD AND QUALITY OF EGGPLANT (Solanum melongena L.) GROWN UNDER SALINE AND NON-SALINE CONDITIONS.

Elwan, M. W. M.; Shaban, W. I.; Mohamed, A. I.; Hossein, H. E.A.

doi:10.21608/jpp.2007.221331

EFFECT OF FOLIAR APPLICATION OF ASCORBIC ACID ON PLANT GROWTH, POWDERY MELDOW DISEASE, CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, FRUIT YIELD AND QUALITY OF EGGPLANT (Solanum melongena L.) GROWN UNDER SALINE AND NON-SALINE CONDITIONS.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Dept. of Horticulture, Suez Canal Univ., Fac. of Agric., Ismailia, Egypt

² Dept. of Agric. Botany, Suez Canal Univ., Fac. of Agric., Ismailia, Egypt

³ Department of Soil and Water Science, Suez Canal University, Faculty of Agriculture, Ismailia, Egypt

10.21608/jpp.2007.221331

Abstract

Eggplant plants were grown in pot experiment to investigate the effects of NaCl salinity and foliar application of ascorbic acid on plant growth, fruit yield and quality. Soil analysis, during experimental period, showed that all soil properties, except pH, were increased with increasing NaCl concentrations. The results showed that salt-stressed plants had less vegetative parameters, total sugar content, calcium content, potassium content and fruit yield. However, concentration of sodium in roots, shoots and fruits as well as fruit free total phenols and fruit weight loss were increased with salt. Powdery mildew disease severity decreased with salt treatments which associated with low leaf total sugar content. The results indicated that ascorbic acid sprayed plants had significantly higher root fresh weight, fruit yield, fruit free total phenols as well as shoot and fruit potassium and calcium contents, while, fruit sodium content decreased. Low powdery mildew disease rate was found in sprayed plants at high NaCl (100 mmol). These results are suggesting that the ascorbate spraying was effective in alleviating adverse effects of salinity on the parameters mentioned before. No significant differences in other vegetative growth and chemical composition were observed between sprayed and non-sprayed plants with ascorbic acid; none of these variables was improved with the foliar of ascorbic acid. Also the results indicated that fruit total phenol, potassium, calcium and sodium content were significantly increased when fruits stored under room conditions compared with fresh harvested fruits. In conclusion, results support the hypothesis that supplemental ascorbic acid would ameliorate the inhibitory effects of NaCl stress in eggplant.

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