This investigation was carried out during 2008 and 2009 seasons to study the effect of three irrigation regimes at 80, 70 and 60% of field capacity (FC) (I1, I2 and I3) and three potassium fertilizer levels at 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg K2SO4 (48% K2O)/tree (K1, K2 and K3), as well as, their interaction on vegetative growth, nutritional status, water relations, yield and fruit quality in addition to field water use efficiency (FWUE) of "Dessert Red" peach trees budded on Nemaguard rootstock grown in Sedy Salem District, Kafrelsheikh governorate. The obtained data indicated that, deficit irrigation regime was associated with reduced shoot length and diameter, number of leaves/shoot, area per leaf, shoot and leaf dry weights and trunk cross section areaincrease. However, increasing K fertilizer level caused a significant increase in previous vegetative growth characeristics. The application of (I1 x K3) and/or (I2 x K3) considered the best combination treatments for enhanced vegetative growth in both seasons of study. In the two experimental seasons, reducing irrigation rate up to 60% FC led to significant reduction in leaf macro and micro-nutrients, total chlorophyll contents, and significant increment in leaf free proline content. Meanwhile, increasing K fertilizer level from 0.5 to 0.75 or 1 kg K2SO4/tree significantly increased leaf K and free proline contents but significantly reduced leaf Ca, Mg and total chlorophyll contents. On the other hand, leaf N, P, Fe, Mn and Zn-contents were not affected by increasing the level of K fertilizer. Either deficit irrigation regime or high K fertilizer level recorded the highest values of bound water and osmotic pressure of cell sap and the lowest total and free water contents in both seasons. Additionally, fruit yield (kg/tree), yield efficiency (kg/cm 2 TCSA) and total yield (ton/fed.) as well as average fruit weight, length and diameter were significantly increased by increasing either irrigation or K fertilizer levels, while, fruit firmness was reduced. Moreover, colour%, skin anthocyanin content and SSC were significantly increased under high K fertilizer level but, significantly decreased under higher irrigation level. However, total acidity was not affected with the both tested irrigation and K fertilizer levels and their interaction in both seasons. Greatest yield with heaviest and largest fruit beside highest values of field water use efficiency (FWUE) were produced by applying (I1 x K3) and/or (I2 x K3) combination treatments. Thus, this study recommend "Dessert Red" peach growers in clay soil to irrigate when soil moisture content reached 70% (FC) and to apply 1 kg K2SO4 (48% K2O)/tree in (I2 x K3) combination treatment which is considered the best one in this study. This treatment is not only stimulated vegetative growth and improved nutritional status and water relations but also produced maximum yield with high fruit quality especially fruit weight, size, colour and SSC content beside, saving irrigation water and increasing FWUE kg/m 3. This investigation was carrie...

This study was carried out during two successive growing seasons 2016 and 2017 at a private farm located at El-Nubaria, Beheira governorate, Egypt to study the effect of irrigation deficit at different growth stages on some vegetative growth parameters, yield and fruit quality of "Anna" apple trees. The obtained data showed that, the highest mean values for studied vegetative growth parameters such as shoot length, shoot diameter, leaf area and specific leaf weight , yield (kg/tree -ton/fed.), fruit set percentage and some fruit characters (fruit weight, fruit size, fruit length, fruit diameter and fruit shape) were recorded under control treatment (conventional irrigation). Meanwhile, vegetative growth parameters recorded the lowest values under T 6 treatment, while the lowest values of fruit set percentage and yield were recorded under T 5 . Fruit weight, fruit size, fruit length and fruit diameter recorded the least values with T 7 treatment. Concerning, productivity of irrigation water (PIW), whereas the highest values were obtained by T 6 treatment, T 5 treatment gave the lowest values. Fruit firmness, TSS and anthocyanin content in fruit peel of "Anna" apple were significantly affected by irrigation treatments, where, T 7 treatment recorded the highest values for measured fruit firmness and TSS, while T 6 treatment recorded the highest values for anthocyanin. The lowest values for measured fruit firmness, TSS and anthocyanin content were found under control condition (standard irrigation). Hence, we can recommend apple growers to apply T 3 treatment(12.972 m 3 /tree/year = 4540.2 m 3 /fed./year) to save 25%of irrigation water, as well as, to obtain about the same fruit set and yield of control trees.

This study was conducted through three successive seasons of 2011, 2012 and 2013 to investigate the effect of three irrigation regimes at 70%, 50% and 30% of available soil water and seven fertilization treatments include replacing 50%, 75% and 100% of mineral nitrogen by cattle or chicken organic manure comparing to 100% mineral fertilizer and their interaction on productivity, fruit quality and some water relations of "Anna" apple trees budded on Malus rootstock grown on clay soil at Tanta district, El-Gharbia Governorate. Results were only taken in 2012 and 2013 season. The obtained results could be summarized as follows:-Yield of "Anna" apple tree as fruits number and their weight (kg) as well as total yield (ton/fed) were gradually increased by increasing irrigation rate from 30% to 70% of available soil water due to the increase of fruit set% and reduced preharvest fruit drop % in both seasons.-Application of 50% chicken or cattle manure + 50% mineral fertilizer (F 2 & F 5) produced maximum tree yield as fruits number and weight (kg) also total yield ton/fed. followed by 100% mineral. While, minimum yield correlated to that fertilized with 100% cattle or chicken manures in the two seasons of study .-Highest yield kg/tree and ton/fed. were produced when "Anna" apple trees grown under high or moderate irrigation regimes (70 or 50% AW) and received 50% cattle or chicken manure + 50% mineral N fertilizer in (I 1 x F 2), (I 1 x F 5), (I 2 x F 2) and/or (I 2 x F 5) combination treatment without any significant differences among them while, trees subjected to severe water stress (30% AW) and fertilized by 100% cattle or chicken manure in (I 3 x F 4) or (I 3 x F 7) treatment gave the least significant values in both seasons.-Increasing irrigation level resulted in a significant increase of fruit weight, volume, dimensions but reduce fruit firmness and TSS and anthocyanin contents. Meanwhile, nitrate and nitrite contents insignificantly affected with irrigation regime.-The heaviest and largest fruits were recorded by adding nitrogen as 50% cattle or chicken manure + 50% mineral fertilizer followed by applying mineral fertilizer alone while, the lightest and smallest fruits were produced by using organic manure alone. Moreover, increasing the rate of organic manure in fertilization program significantly improved the chemical properties of apple fruit in term of increased total soluble solids (TSS) and anthocyanin contents but reduced nitrate and nitrite contents.-Data of both seasons revealed that, the interaction (I x F) was significant and maximum fruit weight, volume and dimensions belonged to (I 1 x F 2), (I 1 x F 5), (I 2 x F 2) or (I 2 x F 5) combination treatments without significant difference among them. While, the least values obtained by (I 3 x F 4) or (I 3 x F 7) treatment. In addition, red color% and anthocyanin content of apple fruit skin were significantly highest under (I 2 x F 2) or (I 2 x F 5) treatment. Meanwhile, the control treatment (I 1 x F 1) obtained the least values.-Minimum values of season...

Five years old “Desert red” peach trees budded on Nemaguard rootstock and grown in sandy soil at commercial orchard Al-Nubaria city, El-Behira Governorate-Egypt were treated with some agricultural treatments involving thinning out pruning, fruit thinning and foliar application of potassium silicate (25% S +10% K2O) at 0.1% and super grow (20% N, 20% P2O5 and 20% K2O) at 0.3% in 2014 and 2015 seasons, to study their effects on yield and fruit quality and the relationship between nutrient balance and yield of “Desert red” peach trees. Beside, testing the influence of used treatments on two physiological disorder, double fruit and deep suture %. Also, economic evaluation of different treatments was done. All obtained data were statistically analyzed using a randomized complete block design. Depending on the obtained results in this study, it could be concluded that application of thinning out pruning 35%, fruit thinning by leaving 15 cm between fruits on one-year old shoot at 20 days after full bloom and foliar application of potassium silicate which sprayed five times during each growing season at fruit set, the second fruit development stage, the beginning of the fruit color change and twice after month from harvest, most profitable treatment for peach trees grown under conditions of this investigation. This treatment gave the best vegetative growth, yield, fruit quality, higher crop value with high net income /fed. from “Desert red” peach trees, in addition, reduced the percentage of double fruit and deep suture by more than 50% in both seasons, therefore, the study recommends this treatment for “Desert red” peach growers.

This investigation was carried out during three consecutive seasons of 2011, 2012 and 2013 to study the effect of irrigation regime, organic fertilization treatments and their interaction on some soil chemical and physical properties, vegetative growth and nutritional status of "Anna" apple trees budded on Malus root stock grown on clay soil at Tanta district, El-Gharbia Governorate. Results were only taken in 2012 and 2013 seasons. In this respect, three irrigation regimes at 70, 50 and 30% of available soil water (I 1 , I 2 and I 3 ) were used and cattle or chicken organic manures was applied at 0, 50, 75 and 100% combined with mineral N at 100%, 50%, 25% and 0% of the recommended dose of 400 g/tree/year in seven fertilization treatments (F 1 -F 7 ).The obtained results indicated that, soil physical and chemical properties except for pH and EC were significantly influenced by the tested organic fertilization and irrigation treatments in both seasons. The best results in increasing the percentage of organic matter and organic carbon, total porosity, aggregation parameters and reducing soil bulk density were obtained by increasing the application rate of organic manures up to 100% and using moderate irrigation rate at 50% AW (I 2 ) compared to high (I 1 ) or deficit (I 3 ) irrigation one.Data of both seasons cleared that, shoot and leaf growth parameters, trunk cross section area-increase as well as average number and fresh weight of fibrous roots were significantly increased with increasing irrigation rate up to 50, 70% AW. However, fertilization of 50% cattle or chicken manure + 50% mineral fertilizer (F 2 or F 5 ) resulted in the highest significant values of these vegetative growth parameters. The application of (I 1 x F 2 ), (I 1 x F 5 ), (I 2 x F 2 ) and/or (I 2 x F 5 ) considered to be the best combination treatments for enhancing vegetative growth of "Anna" apple trees.Obtained data revealed that application of cattle or chicken organic manure alone (F 4 & F 7 ) significantly increased leaf macro and micro nutrients as well as total chlorophyll contents, but significantly reduced free proline content. Moreover, fertilizing with chicken manure alone surpass of cattle manure alone in enhancing leaf mineral content. On the other hand, reducing irrigation rate up to 30% AW led to a significant reduction in leaf macro and micro-nutrients and total chlorophyll content, while, leaf free proline content was significantly increased in both seasons of study.The maximum values of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn and total chlorophyll content were produced by (I 1 x F 7 ), (I 1 x F 4 ) and/or (I 2 x F 7 ) combination treatments without significant difference among them, while the minimum values recorded with (I 3 x F 1 ) treatment in both seasons.Thus, this study recommended "Anna" apple growers to apply 50% cattle or chicken manure + 50% mineral N fertilizer under moderate irrigation regime in (I 2 x F 2 ) or (I 2 x F 5 ) which considered to be the best combination treatments for improving the most of soil physical and ...