Abstract The effects of GA3 and CPPU on fruiting of Seewy date palm grown at the Experimental Orchard, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Egypt were investigated during 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons. All treatments were sprayed after two or eight weeks of pollination. The experiment was set up in a complete randomized block design with five replications of one bunch each. The obtained results could be summarized as follow: - Fruit set and fruit retention percentage were significantly decreased due to spray GA3 at 50 ppm after two weeks of pollination followed by GA3 or CPPU after eight weeks of pollination compared to unsprayed one (control). - Spraying the bunch with GA3 twice, once at 50 ppm after two weeks of pollination followed once GA3 at 75 ppm plus CPPU at 7.5 or 15 ppm after eight weeks of pollination gave the highest fruit weight, flesh percentage and dimention of fruits compared to unsprayed ones. - Spraying GA3 and CPPU significantly improved the chemical fruit properties in terms of the total soluble solids and sugar contents and significantly decreased the total acidity and total soluble tannins percentages compared to unsprayed ones. So, it concluded that spray GA3 at 50 ppm after two weeks of pollination plus either GA3 at 75 ppm and CPPU at 7.5 ppm or GA3 at 75 ppm and CPPU at 15 ppm to obtain the high yield with good quality of Seewy dates. GA3 reduce the fruit retention and consequently increase the fruit weight and size induce increased the yield. CPPU induced an increase in fruit weight and size then get high yield of Seewy dates. Thus, spraying the bunches of Seewy date palm with GA3 and CPPU had get the heaviest yield with improvement the physical and tested chemical fruit properties

Abstract This study was carried out during 2014 and 2015 seasons in a private orchard of Jojoba located at Mout, El-Dakhla, New Valley Governorate to examine the effects of GA3 (25, 50 and 100 ppm), camphor oil (1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 cm3/L), effective microorganisms (EM1, 3, 6 and 9 cm3/L), glauconite compound (250 and 500 g/shrub) and a mixture of GA3 (50 ppm) with the afromentioned concentrations of camphor oil on vegetative growth, yield/shrub and Jojoba seed characteristics. The treatments were conducted at start of Jojoba blooming (the 1st application time), and the 2nd application was achieved 3 weeks after fruit set, except the glauconite was applied 3 weeks before Jojoba blooming. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replicates, 2 shrubs each. According to the obtained results of this study, it could be deduced that all treatments improved the vegetative growth, yield and seed quality. Concerning oil weight/100 seeds and oil % in seeds treatment with mixture of GA3 (50 ppm) and camphor oil (1.5 or 3.0 cm3/L) gave the best results during the two studied seasons. Therefore, for improving yield and seed quality it could be recommended spray jojoba a mixture of GA3 (50 ppm) plus camphor oil at 1.5 or 3.0 cm3/L under the condition of this study.

Abstract This study was carried out during 2014 and 2015 seasons in a private orchard of Jojoba located at Mout, El-Dakhla, New Valley Governorate to examine the effects of GA3 (25, 50 and 100 ppm), camphor oil (1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 cm3/L), effective microorganisms (EM1, 3, 6 and 9 cm3/L), glauconite compound (250 and 500 g/shrub) and a mixture of GA3 (50 ppm) with the afromentioned concentrations of camphor oil on vegetative growth, yield/shrub and Jojoba seed characteristics. The treatments were conducted at start of Jojoba blooming (the 1st application time), and the 2nd application was achieved 3 weeks after fruit set, except the glauconite was applied 3 weeks before Jojoba blooming. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replicates, 2 shrubs each. According to the obtained results of this study, it could be deduced that all treatments improved the vegetative growth, yield and seed quality. Concerning oil weight/100 seeds and oil % in seeds treatment with mixture of GA3 (50 ppm) and camphor oil (1.5 or 3.0 cm3/L) gave the best results during the two studied seasons. Therefore, for improving yield and seed quality it could be recommended spray jojoba a mixture of GA3 (50 ppm) plus camphor oil at 1.5 or 3.0 cm3/L under the condition of this study.

ABSTRACT During 2014 and 2015 seasons, Early Sweet grapevines were fertilized with the recommended rate of N via 100% mineral N, 100% plant compost (p c) enriched or not with Spirulina platensis algae(S p a) as well as via 25 to 75% inorganic N plus 25 to 75% plant compost with or without Spirulina platensis algae. The merit was replacing inorganic N partially by using plant compost enriched or not with Spirulina platensis algae. Growth characteristics, leaf pigments, N, P, and K, yield, quality of the berries and juice content of nitrite were investigated. Using N as 50% inorganic N + 50% plant compost enriched with Spirulina platensis at 10 ml/ vine improved growth characteristics, yield, cluster weight and quality of the berries. There was a gradual effect on leaf pigments, N, P, K and fruit quality with reducing the percentages of inorganic N from 100 to 0.0% and increasing percentages of plant compost with or without the algae form 0.0 to 100%. Juice content of nitrite and shot berries % gradually declined with reducing inorganic N and increasing plant compost enriched or not with Spirulina platensis algae. Using plant compost enriched with Spirulina platensis was more favorable than using plant compost alone in this respect. A pronounced promotion on yield and fruit quality of Early Sweet cultivar was observed when the vines were subjected to the recommended rate of N as 50% inorganic N plus 50% plant compost enriched with Spirulina platensis algae at 10 ml/ vine. ** Spirulina platensis algae (S p a) - plant compost (p c)

Abstract Little is known about the response of pomegranate to the foliar application with nutrients and gibberellic acid. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) experiment was conducted on 40-years old Manfalouty pomegranate trees grown on Upper Egypt. The study aims to investigate the effect of foliar application with gibberellic acid (GA3), potassium silicate (PS), zinc sulphate (ZS) and fetrilon compi (FC) which is a mixture of micronutrients on fruiting of pomegranate trees. All the tested treatments significantly (P 0.05) improved the yield and fruit quality and reduced the fruit cracking percentage. GA3 and FC spraying induced a 15 and 11% increase in the fruit yield and minimized the cracking percentage by 47 and 61% compared to the control treatment, respectively. It is recommended to spray Manfalouty pomegranate trees with micronutrients, potassium silicate, or zinc sulphate twice at mid of June and August to enhance the pomegranate yield and quality.

Abstract Little is known about the response of pomegranate to the foliar application with nutrients and gibberellic acid. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) experiment was conducted on 40-years old Manfalouty pomegranate trees grown on Upper Egypt. The study aims to investigate the effect of foliar application with gibberellic acid (GA3), potassium silicate (PS), zinc sulphate (ZS) and fetrilon compi (FC) which is a mixture of micronutrients on fruiting of pomegranate trees. All the tested treatments significantly (P 0.05) improved the yield and fruit quality and reduced the fruit cracking percentage. GA3 and FC spraying induced a 15 and 11% increase in the fruit yield and minimized the cracking percentage by 47 and 61% compared to the control treatment, respectively. It is recommended to spray Manfalouty pomegranate trees with micronutrients, potassium silicate, or zinc sulphate twice at mid of June and August to enhance the pomegranate yield and quality.

Abstract The experiment was conducted during the two successive seasons of 2015 and 2016 on Ruby Seedless grapevines grown in the Experimental Orchard, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University. This investigation was carried out to study the effect of spraying yeast, algae and fish oil on vegetative growth, nutrient status and fruiting. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design with three replicates, one vine per each. The obtained results could be summarized as follows: - Pruning wood weight, leaf area and its nutritional status significantly increased with spraying yeast, algae and fish oil compared to unsprayed ones. Spraying yeast combined with algae plus fish oil at half concentration of single spraying gave the maximum values of these aspects. - Spraying yeast combined with algae and fish oil gave the highest cluster number, heaviest clusters and yield/vine compared to the other spraying treatments and unsprayed ones. No significant differences were observed among double spraying form or triple ones. - All yeast, algae or fish oil treatments significantly improved the berry quality in terms of increasing berry weight, total soluble solids %, reducing sugars % and skin berry anthocyanin and decreasing titratable acidity % compared to unsprayed ones. The present study concluded that carrying out sprays of mixture of 5 g/L yeast, 0.5 g/L algae or 0.5 ml/L fish oil improved the growth and nutritional status of vines, in addition get high yield with good cluster and berry attributes.

Abstract The experiment was conducted during the two successive seasons of 2015 and 2016 on Ruby Seedless grapevines grown in the Experimental Orchard, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University. This investigation was carried out to study the effect of spraying yeast, algae and fish oil on vegetative growth, nutrient status and fruiting. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design with three replicates, one vine per each. The obtained results could be summarized as follows: - Pruning wood weight, leaf area and its nutritional status significantly increased with spraying yeast, algae and fish oil compared to unsprayed ones. Spraying yeast combined with algae plus fish oil at half concentration of single spraying gave the maximum values of these aspects. - Spraying yeast combined with algae and fish oil gave the highest cluster number, heaviest clusters and yield/vine compared to the other spraying treatments and unsprayed ones. No significant differences were observed among double spraying form or triple ones. - All yeast, algae or fish oil treatments significantly improved the berry quality in terms of increasing berry weight, total soluble solids %, reducing sugars % and skin berry anthocyanin and decreasing titratable acidity % compared to unsprayed ones. The present study concluded that carrying out sprays of mixture of 5 g/L yeast, 0.5 g/L algae or 0.5 ml/L fish oil improved the growth and nutritional status of vines, in addition get high yield with good cluster and berry attributes.

Abstract This study was carried out during the two successive seasons of 2015 and 2016 at the Experimental Orchard Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt, to investigate the effect of cluster or berry thinning on fruiting of Ruby Seedless grapevines. Thinning treatments were performed after berry set. The experiment was arranged in randomized set up as complete block with eight treatments and three replicates one vine per each. - Fruit thinning by removing either 20 or 30% of cluster number/vine, as well as removing 30% of cluster shoulders considerably decreased the yield. Yield was unaffected carrying out by other thinning treatments compared to unthinned ones (control). - Removing 20 or 30% of cluster number was responsive for increasing the cluster weight. Contrarly removed 30% of cluster shoulders materially deceased cluster weight, whereas cluster weight was unaffected by other thinning treatment compared to control. - The best cluster compactness coefficient and form was obtained due berry thinning as removing 15% of its shoulders combined by 15% of cluster apical removal. - All berry thinning improved the grapes quality in terms of increasing berry weight, berry coloration, total soluble solid and sugar contents and decreasing titratable acidity compared to control. From this study, it is clear that to get the high yield with good clusters and berry traits it is preferable for carrying out berry thinning by removing 15% of cluster shoulders along with cutting back 15% from the apical cluster or cutting back about 30% of the apical portion of the cluster.

The aim of this study is to estimate the effect of irrigation intervals on the yield and the quality of Pepper under Assiut conditions. Three irrigation intervals (every 7 (IR7), 14 (IR14) and 21 (IR21) days) and three Pepper genotypes (Omega F1, Pical F1 and 1515 F1) were used. Our results showed that irrigating pepper plants every week (IR7) significantly gave the highest ascorbic acid content of pepper fruits, total fruits number per plot, average fruit weight, early fruit yield per feddan, and pepper total yield in both seasons. Also, highest value of soil field capacity was found in samples collected from the IR7 treatment. On the other hand, plants irrigated every 21 days (IR21) had the highest values of percentage of whole plant dry weight and proline content. In both seasons, Omega F1 every significantly gave the highest values of total fruit fresh yield, percentage of whole plant dry weight, and fruit vitamin C content in the second season. Bell pepper 1515 F1 significantly produced the highest values of average fruit weight in both seasons. Interestingly, under deficit irrigation Omega F1 genotype (considered as a drought tolerant genotype) which produced the highest total fruit yield, produced lower leaf proline content than 1515 F1 genotype which is more sensitive to water deficit treatments. We conclude that plant response to water deficit depends on the plant genotype, and not on the proline content.