Response of vegetative growth, leaf pigments, yield and fruit quality of some summer squash cultivars grown in sandy soil to foliar spray with some antioxidants

Abstract EN

The present work was carried out at Private Farm (The Experimental Farm of Sand Valley Company) at Ismailia Governorate, Egypt during the two summer seasons of 2016 and 2017to study the response of vegetative growth, leaf pigments, yield and fruit quality of some summer squash cultivars (Haitek, Kortoba, Otto, Rivera and Shamis) grown in sandy soil to foliar spray with some antioxidants [Salicylic acid (SA), Vitamin B₁ and Vitamin C] at 100 ppm of each.

The interaction between Revira cultivar and spraying with SA or with Vitamin C at 100 ppm of each increased number of leaves/ plant, leaves dry matter and leaf relative water content (% ), crude protein and Vitamin C content in fruits, whereas the interaction between Revira or Shamis cultivars and spraying with SA at 100 ppm increased plant height, concentration of chlorophyll a in leaf tissues, total yield/ fad.

, total carbohydrates and TSS in fruits.

The interaction between Shamis cultivar and spraying with Vitamin B₁ or Vitamin C at 100 ppm of each increased concentration of chlorophyll b in leaf tissues, but decreased the concentration of carotenoides in leaf tissues.

On the other hand, spraying Otto cultivar with tap water gave the lowest value for each of chlorophyll a, b but recorded the highest concentration of carotenoides in leaf tissues, followed by Haitek and Kortoba, while spraying Kortoba cultivar with tap water gave the lowest value of total yield.