Effect of organic and slow-release fertilizers on the growth and fruiting of Ewaise mango trees

Abstract

This study was conducted during the 2020 and 2021 seasons on a 30-year-old Ewaise mango cultivar. The trees were grown in a private orchard located at Kom-Omboo city, Aswan Governorate, Egypt. The compost as an organic fertilizer, fortified with EM was used as a partial replacement for the mineral N fertilizer or slow release. The trial was nominated as a complete randomized block design. The collected results clarified that adding the recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) via 25% as a mineral source and 25 to 50% as an organic one enriched with 50 or 25% of EM or 60 to 80% slow release improved the shoot length and leaf area as well as they’re of total chlorophylls, N, P and K contents compared to use the RDN only as a mineral N fertilizer. The organic fertilizer enriched with 37.5% EM significantly induced these traits more than other used treatments. Moreover, the N fertilization with a combination of mineral and organic N sources with a bio-fertilizer or slow release significantly increased the yield and fruit quality compared to using the RDN only as a mineral source. The preferment in the yield and fruit quality was correlating with increasing the level of the bio-form from 25 to 50% of RDN. It is explicit that such an N fertilization program is very important for mango fruit production. It improves the nutrient status, yield, and fruit quality of mango trees. In addition, it reduces production costs and negative effects on the environment due to the use of chemical fertilizers.