Effect Of Alternative Unconventional Irrigation Water on Soil Properties, Fruit Yield and Quality, and Microbial Safety in Date Palm

A field study was conducted to observe the effects of chemical fruit thinning and their time of application on fruit yield and quality of date palm cv. Khalas at Date Palm Research Center of Excellence, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia. Fourteen date palm trees were randomly selected for the experiment, which was laid out on two-factorial randomized complete block design having six replicates for each treatment. Factor-one comprised of the six chemical (ammonium thiosulphate at 1, 2, and 3% and ethephon at 100, 200 and 300ppm) excluding control, whereas the second factor was the time of application of these two chemical thinners (5 and 10 days after pollination). The findings of this study indicated that the chemical fruit thinning had definite effects on virtually all fruit quality characteristics. Early application of chemical thinners after 5 days of pollination, significantly decreased the total fruits drop percentage and enhanced number of retained fruits, bunch weight, yield per palm, fruit color, fruit weight and length, seed weight, TSS, total and reducing sugars. On the other hand, among chemical thinners, the application of ethephon at 300 ppm significantly improved previously mentioned parameters. Similarly, ethephon at 200 or ATS at 3% also showed promising results. It is therefore, concluded that the application of ethephon at 200 or 300ppm after 5 days of pollination influenced significantly regarding fruit yield and quality parameters of date palm cv. Khalas.

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EFFECTS OF GREEN MANURES AND NPK FERTILIZER ON SOIL PROPERTIES, TOMATO YIELD AND QUALITY IN THE FOREST-SAVANNA ECOLOGY OF NIGERIA

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479718000376 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 55 (5) ◽

pp. 793-806 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

TAIWO M. AGBEDE ◽

ARUNA O. ADEKIYA ◽

MONDAY O. ALE ◽

EHIOKHILEN K. EIFEDIYI ◽

CHRISTY A. OLATUNJI

Keyword(s):

Vitamin C ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Soil Bulk Density ◽

Fruit Yield ◽

Green Manures ◽

Tomato Fruits ◽

Tomato Yield ◽

Yield And Quality ◽

Npk Fertilizer

SUMMARYGreen manures (GM) as an alternative to inorganic fertilizer offer considerable potential as a source of plant nutrients and organic matter (OM). Hence, field experiments were carried out during 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons to compare impacts of GM and NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer on soil properties, growth, fruit yield, mineral, lycopene and vitamin C contents of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentumMill). GMs were composed by green tender stems and leaves of pawpaw (Carica papayaL.), neem (Azadirachta indicaA. Juss.), moringa (Moringa oleiferaLam.) or gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium(Jacq.) Kunth ex Walp.) and applied at 5 Mg ha−1, whereas NPK was applied at 300 kg ha−1and there was a no fertilizer plot (control). Application of GMs reduced soil bulk density and increased soil OM, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, growth, number of fruits and fruit yield of tomato compared with the control. NPK fertilizer had no effect on soil bulk density and soil OM, but it increased soil fertility and tomato yield as compared with the control. When comparing treatments, the highest tomato yield and best cost:benefit ratio were obtained with gliricidia as GM. The GMs and NPK fertilizer increased mineral, lycopene and vitamin C contents in tomato fruits and the highest K, Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu, lycopene and vitamin C contents in tomato fruits were found with moringa as GM. Our results revealed that GM has potential to improve soil properties, tomato yield and quality, being an alternative for cropping management.

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