Improving productivity and quality of mango using humic acid and vermicomposting leachate in North Sinai

الملخص EN

This study was conducted during the two successive seasons 2016 and 2017 at Baloza district, North Sinai governorate, Egypt.

This study is a trail to solve the problems of salinity that impede the sustainable development of horticultural economic activities (even all of the agriculture activities) by improving the productivity of such fruit orchard and the quality of the produced fruits.

In this study, two bio-organic materials (humicacid and vermicomposting leachate)used to overcome the negative effects of salinity on mango trees(Keitt cultivar).Three concentrations of vermicomposting leachate(VCL): control (tap water), (VCL)1: vermicomposting leachate at 10% and(VCL)2:vermicomposting leachate at 15%were sprayed on the trees and three levels of humic acid [(HA)0: control (without), (HA)1: 20 ml/ tree/season and (HA)2:40 ml/ tree/season] added to soil were the main treatments applied to achieve the aim of the work.All treatments were added three times, the first added when growth started, the second was after full bloomand the last added three weeks later after setting.The obtained results revealed that all treatments were very effective in stimulating growth parameters, mineral contents, yield, physical and chemical characteristics of the fruits.

In addition,(VCL)2 with(HA)2increasedleaf area, total chlorophyll content, leaf mineral contents (N, P and K), fruit set, fruit retention, fruit weight, pulp weight, pulp/fruitpercentage, number of fruits/tree, yield/tree, total soluble solids, total sugar content, ascorbic acid and decreased peel weight and total acidity in the Keitt mangoes cv.Furthermore, increasing humic aciddecreased EC, pH, Cl and Na and increasedFe, Zn, Cu and Mn in the soil.