EFFECT OF THE ORGANIC FERTILIZER “ACTOSOL®" AND "EM" BIOSTIMULANT ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH AND LEAF CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF YOUNG PEAR AND APRICOT TREES GROWN IN CALCAREOUS SOILS

This study was carried out during 2003 and 2004 seasons on one-year- old Le
Conte pear and Canine apricot trees budded on Pyrus befufaefolia and seedlings of
apricot rootstocks, respectively, grown in calcareous soil in a private orchard at west
of Alexandria. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of commercial
fertilizers; Actosol” (organic fertilizer which contains 2.9% humic acid and 0.5% for
each of Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu) and EM biostimulant (containing more than 60 selected
strains of effective micro organisms). Actosol"II was added as soil drench around the
trees, as foliar spray on leaves and finally soil and foliar altogether. Meanwhile, EM
was only added to the soil. The obtained results revealed that Aotosol' treatment as
(soil + foliar) and soil application of EM gave a significant increase in vegetative
growth parameters of pears and apricots (trunk circumference. number of new
shoots, shoot length, shoot diameter, leaf area, tree height and canopy diameter) as
well as leaf chlorophyll readings and total carbohydrates content if compared to other
treatments in both seasons of study. Data also indicated that application of Actosol’
(soil + foliar) increased the value of N, P, K, Ca, Fe, Mn, and Zn in Le Conte pear and
Canino apricot leaves in both seasons. Furthermore, EM soil treatment gave the
same significance as the later treatment with P, K and Ca in Le Conte pear leaves
and with N, P and Fe in Canino apricot leaves during the second season only. On the
other hand all the treatments of Actosol" decreased leaf Na content compared to EM
and control in both crops.
From this study, it could be recommended that the use of organic fertilizer
Actosol" (soil + foliar treatrnent)and EM biostimulant on young
Le Conte pear and Canine apricot trees grown in calcareous soil gave vigorous
growth and increased leaf nutrients content. Furthermore, it decreased the cost of
production and boosted the income.