THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF MINIMIZING MINERAL NITROGEN FERTILIZATION ON SEWY DATE PALM TREES BY USING ORGANIC AND BIOFERTILIZERS

Salama, M. I.; El-Samak, A. F.; El-Morsy, A. A.; Aly, K. M. M.

doi:10.21608/jpp.2012.84988

THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF MINIMIZING MINERAL NITROGEN FERTILIZATION ON SEWY DATE PALM TREES BY USING ORGANIC AND BIOFERTILIZERS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Hort Dept., Fac. Agric., Kafrelsheikh Univ.

10.21608/jpp.2012.84988

Abstract

Minimizing mineral nitrogen fertilization through using 50% organic N (FYM) + 50% mineral N (urea) with Azotobacter chrococcum that fixed nitrogen as biofertilizer source were tested on mature Sewy date palm trees 12- years-old grown on sandy soil in private orchard located at El-Dakhla oasis, El-Wady El-Gedeed governorate. Leaf mineral content, yield and fruit quality especially fruit heavy metals, nitrate and nitrite contents and economic evaluation comparing with the traditional nitrogen fertilization (100% mineral nitrogen) were investigated. The obtained results showed that fertilizing palm with 50% organic N+ 50% mineral N+ biotreatments tended to increase N, P, K, Ca and Mg leaf contents. Moreover, treatments, 100% mineral or 50% organic N+ 50% mineral N+ biofertilizer significantly increased the yield kg/palm without non-significant differences between them in both seasons compared to other treatments. Both treatments of 100% organic or 50% organic N+ 50% mineral N+ biofertilizer improvement physical and chemical characteristics of date fruits. Also, content of heavy metals, nitrate and nitrite significantly reduced by tested treatments especially when added combined with treatment. So, it seems that yield, fruit quality and net income/fed of Sewy date palm trees could be greatly improved through fertilizing palm trees with 50% organic N+ 50% mineral N+ biofertilizer.

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