RESPONSE OF GROWTH, YIELD, FRUIT QUALITY AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF SQUASH PLANTS (Cucurbita pepo cv.El-Askandrani) TO FOLIAR APPLICATION OF DIFFERENT PHOSPHATIC COMPOUNDS | ||||
| Journal of Productivity and Development | ||||
| Article 9, Volume 21, Issue 3, August 2016, Page 333-348 PDF (349.08 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jpd.2016.42275 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
| Mohmoud El-Hamady* | ||||
| Plant Production Department, Faculty of Technology and Development, Zagazig University, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| This study was conducted during the two spring seasons of 2013 and 2014, to investigate the response of growth, yield, fruit quality and chemical composition of squash plants (Cucurbita pepo cv.El-Askandrani) to foliar application of different phosphatic compounds. The experiment consisted of 10 P-foliar treatments. These trials were arranged as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 4 replicates and giving a total of 40 plots. Foliar spray with calcium superphosphate at 0.20% was the most effective treatment on vegetative growth and leaf chlorophyll in the two growing seasons. In this respect, the highest values of fruit length, fruit diameter and total fruit yield of squash were obtained with potassium phosphate (28.6 K) at 0.20%. Foliar application of mono-ammonium phosphate at 0.20% led to significant increase N% of dry matter in vegetative organs of squash plants. Likewise, the foliar application of calcium superphosphate at 0.20% increased P% of dry matter in vegetative organs of squash plants. In addition, the treatment of potassium phosphate at 0.20% caused a significant increased K% of dry matter in vegetative organs of squash plants. The nutritive values of squash fruits; i.e. total soluble solids and titrable acidity, as well as, dry matter % were significantly affected by calcium superphosphate at high concentration of 0.20% compared with the other treatments and control treatment. Conclusively, it could be concluded that foliar application of phosphorus fertilizer can improve growth and productivity of squash plant by providing additional available dose of essential macronutrients (potassium phosphate at 0.20% and calcium superphosphate at 0.20% to growing squash plant with higher yield and good quality. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Cucurbita pepo; Cucurbitaceae; phosphatic compounds; foliar application; fruits quality | ||||
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