Effect of foliar spray with amino acids, citric acid, some calcium compounds and mono-potassium phosphate on productivity, storability and controlling gray mould of strawberry fruits under sandy soil conditions

Abstract EN

A filed experiment was carried out during the two successive seasons of 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 at the Experimental Farm of El-Kassasein, Hort.

Res.

Station, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, to investigate the effect of foliar spray with amino acids, citric acid, some calcium compounds and mono-potassium phosphate (MKP) on vegetative growth, early and total yield, yield components, storability and gray mould disease reduction of strawberry Festival cultivar under sandy soil conditions.

The obtained results showed that, spraying strawberry plants with CaCl2 at 20 ml/l, amino acids at 10 ml/l, citric acid at 2 g/l, calcium amino acids chelate at 20 ml/l and calcium citric acid chelates at 20 ml/l and mono-potassium phosphate (MKP) at 20 ml/l increased yield, yield components and decreased incidence and severity of gray mould disease compared to control.

Spraying with amino acids or calcium amino acids chelate increased plant height, number of leaves/ plant, shoot dry weight/ plant, average yield/plant, total yield/fad.

, and decreased weight loss (% ) and decay (% ) during cold storage periods.

Spraying with MKP recorded minimum incidence (12.6 and 18.3 % ) and severity (13.9 and 13.2% ) of gray mould disease in fruits at the 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively, followed by spraying with calcium amino acids chelate.

In addition, incidence and severity of gray mould disease decreased with increasing TSS and vitamin C in strawberry fruits.