Response of onion crop to foliar application by amino acids, yeast extract and boron in upper Egypt

Abstract EN

Two field experiments were investigated in two successive seasons of 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 in sand loam soil of private farm in El-Usayrat village El-Monshaa City, Sohag Governorate, Egypt, to study the response of onion plants (cultivar Giza 6 mohassan) to foliar application of amino acids (1gm/l) from a compound contains 23.68% Free amino acids), yeast extract (5gm yeast/l) and boron (5 cm/l) from compound contains 15% boron).

Results showed that onion plant significantly affected by foliar application of bio-fertilizers (amino acid & yeast) and boron.

Foliar application of yeast extract + boron gave the maximum vegetative growth of onion plant including plant height and neck diameter.

While, bulb yields was affected by foliar application of amino acid + boron.

Results concluded that foliar application by amino acid + boron (T5) increased total yield by (52.24% & 50.15%), marketable yield by (65.13% & 63.54) and yield quality compared to control treatment in both seasons.

Foliar application of (T5) tended to reduce culls yield, double bulbs (%) and bolting bulbs (%) in comparison to the control (T1) in the 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively.

Storage period indicated that the minimum values of weight losses of onion (%) were obtained from application of boron (T4) after 60, 120 and 180 days from storing in both seasons.

Nutrient concentration in onion bulbs reveal that (N, P and K concentration) strongly responded to the foliar application of T5, while, boron concentration of onion bulbs responded to foliar application of boron (T4).