Response of Peanut Plants to Foliar Nutrition Treatments and Plant Densities Under the Condition of Newly Reclaimed Sandy Soils

The effects of four foliar applications [tap water (control), 1700 ppm chelated calcium (10% Ca-EDTA), 1700 ppm chelated calcium plus 1500 ppm chelated zinc (13% Zn-EDTA), and 1700 ppm chelated calcium plus 1200 ppm chelated iron (13% Fe-EDTA)] as well as three plant densities (56000, 42000, and 33600 plants/fad) were investigated in two field experiments during the 2023 and 2024 seasons in the El-Qasasin district of the Ismailia Governorate on peanut Ismailia 2 cultivar in sandy soils. A split plot design with four replications was used. Foliar nutrition treatments allocated in the main plots, while the plant density treatments were arranged in sub plots.Regarding yield characters (pod, seed, straw, oil, and protein yields/fad) and plant traits, number of  branches, pods, and seeds/plant as well as weight of hundred pods, pods and seeds/plant; it found that peanut plants sprayed with 1700 ppm chelated calcium plus 1200 ppm iron or 1500 ppm zinc significantly outperform those treated with calcium alone and the unsprayed control in the two seasons.The yields of pods, seed, straw, oil, and protein per fad in the two seasons were significantly increased by reducing the hill spacing from 25 cm to 20 and 15 cm. Peanuts planted in hills 15 cm apart, with 56000 plants/fad and sprayed with 1700 ppm chelated calcium and 1200 ppm iron yielded the highest pod, seed, oil, and protein/fad, in the two seasons.