Effect of spraying "Anna" apple trees with moringa and seaweed extracts to alleviation of heat stress and improving of its yield

Abstract EN

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy foliar application of moringa leaf extract (MLE) and seaweed extract (SWE) as a natural crop growth enhancer to alleviation of heat stress and improving growth and yield of "Anna" apple trees (Malus domestica L.), under normal and heat stress conditions during 2015 and 2016 seasons successively.

The study included 3 levels of heat [low (T1), medium (T2) and high (T3)] and in each temperature level 7 treatments were done as follows: control treatment moringa extract at dilution (10,20 and 30 time) and Seaweed extract at (1, 2 and 3ml/ L.).Results revealed that there was significant effect on all studied traits form the two factors except in shoot thickness where the interaction was not significant and in leaf area where the heat and interaction were not significant too.

Results indicated positive effects on vegetative growth and yield.

In general the best results for all applied treatments were in (T2).

MLE10 treatment caused the best results of vegetative growth parameters (except in shoot thickness where SWE3 gave the highest value), fruit drop% and the yield.

MLE20 treatment gave the highest values of initial fruit set%, final fruit set%.

The study recommended that foliar application of MLE 20 at full bloom and MLE10 at month after full bloom and at two month after full bloom to get the best results