Effect of boron, copper and humic acid treatments on vegetative growth, yield and storability of Jerusalem artichoke tubers

Abstract EN

These experiments were carried out during two successive summer seasons of ٢٠١٣ and ٢٠١٤ on Jerusalem artichoke cv.

Feusa.

The plants were grown at Kaha Vegetables Res.

Farm, Hort.

Res.

Inst., Agric.

Res.

Centre, under clay loam soil with using surface irrigation system, to study the effect of boron , copper and humic acid on vegetative growth, yield and its components , chemical constituents and storability of Jerusalem artichoke tubers.

The experiment including ٩ treatments ( foliar spray with ٧٠ and ١٤٠ ppm boron, ٥٠ and ١٠٠ ppm copper, ٠.٥ and ١ g/l humic acid as foliar application and ٠.٥ and ١ g/l humic acid as soil application beside of the control treatment ( spraying with water).

The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates.

The obtained results showed that the highest value of plant height was recorded by the plants which for sprayed with ٥٠ or ١٠٠ ppm copper .

While the plants which sprayed with ١٤٠ ppm boron gave the highest number of main stems per plant.

Application of humic acid ١ g/l as soil application increased dry weight of foliage, number of tubers, yield per plant and total yield per feddan.

Moreover, sprayed plants with ١٤٠ ppm boron treated plants with ١ g/l humic acid as soil application produced more average tuber weight than the other tested treatments.

Chemical composition (N, P, K, Total carbohydrates and inulin contents) of Jerusalem artichoke was significantly affected with application all treatments than control treatment.

The results also confirmed that weight loss and decay percentage in Jerusalem artichoke tubers increased with prolongation of storage period.

In addition, the plants, which sprayed with copper or boron in both concentrations, gave the lowest values in weight loss and decay percentage in Jerusalem artichoke tubers during the storage period.

Conclusively, from the obtained data in this study, it can be recommended by using humic acid at soil for improve growth, number