Impact of Magnetization and Organic Acids on the Growth and Productivity of ‘Washington Navel Orange’ Trees under Irrigation with Salty Water

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Damietta University, Faculty of Agriculture, Pomology Department, Egypt.

2 Mansoura University, Faculty of Agriculture, Pomology Department, Egypt.

3 Agriculture Research Center, Horticulture Department, Citrus Research, Giza, Egypt.

Abstract

The current investigation was executed to assess  the effects of  magnetization, which combines magnetized water (MW) and magnetic iron (150g tree-1),  and organic acids (Humic acid  at 150cm tree-1) As anti-salinity factors in mitigating the negative effects of salinity on growth, leaf mineral contents, yield and  fruit properties of Washington Navel orange trees  planted in sandy soil and  watered with drip irrigation method (ECw of irrigation water = 4ds/m) in 2014 and 2015 under El-Behera governorate  conditions.  The results indicated that the trees subjected to combination treatment involved (MW) and humic acid  as soil application  or magnetic iron gave the best vegetative growth parameters (tree height, canopy volume, No. of shoots per branch, shoot length, No. of leaves shoot and leaf area compared to comparative treatment (the control). Soil application of humic acid under irrigation with MW(MW+ Humic acid) increased mineral contents for  leaves (N, P, K, and Mg) meanwhile, the sequence of MW+ magnetic iron gave the highest Ca content. The highest leaf Na content (0.48 and 0.52%) obtained by the control meanwhile, the lowest leaf proline content (10.0 and 9.2mg g-1) was obtained by combination treatment (MW + humic acid) compared to the highest values (12.4 and 12.7mg g-1) recorded with the control (WW). Yield and fruit quality attributes were increased with soil application of humic acid or magnetic iron following irrigation with magnetized water.

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