Effects of Plant Biostimulants and Forchlorfenuron on Fruit Set and Quality of “Canino” Apricot Fruits

Abstract

Corresponding author: Said Mohamed Attia, E-mail: said.attia@agr.dmu.edu.eg. Tel. 01003888051 (Received 11/02/2022, accepted 30/05/2022) DOI: 10.21608/ejoh.2022.121265.1191 ©2022 National Information and Documentation Centre (NIDOC) T experiment was carried out during 2019 and 2020 seasons on 6-yrs old of “Canino” apricot trees spaced at 6m × 4m apart and grown in sandy soil under drip irrigation system in a private farm at El-Nubaria region, Beheira governorate to investigate the effect of preharvest foliar spraying with salicylic acid at (25 and 50 ppm), seaweed extracts at (0.5g and 1g) and forchlorfenuron at (5ppm and 10ppm) at full bloom and at 10 days after fruit set on fruit set, fruit quality and yield of “Canino” apricot fruits. Results indicated that pre-harvest application of forchlorfenuron at full bloom and after 10 days of fruit set significantly increased fruit set, fruit size, weight and chlorophyll a and b. on the other hand, decreased peel carotene contents at harvest in comparison to control. The results also, reveal that, the application of the seaweed extracts enhanced fruit set and quality of apricots. Pre-harvest application of salicylic acid increased fruit weight, size and carotene. In summary, the results of the present study illustrated that pre-harvest application of salicylic acid, seaweeds and forchlorfenuron improved fruit set and fruit quality of apricot fruits especially at high concentrations.