Effect of iron nutrition on the growth, yield, fruit quality, and leaf composition of seeded Balady lime tress grown on sandy calcareous soils

Abstract

Response of Seeded Balady lime trees, cultivar (Citrus aurantifolia, L.) grown on a sandy calcareous soil to different sources, rates and methods of iron applications were tested. Iron was applied to the soil or to the foliage as chelates or sulfates individually or together with Mn and Zn chelates in thirteen different treatments. The following are some interesting results obtained from this study.

The vegetative growth, gross‐yield, and fruit quality were improved under all investigated treatments as compared to the check. Fe‐EDDHA applied to the soil gave the highest response, whereas foliar applications of iron as chelates or sulfates were slightly inferior. Nevertheless, the money‐wise evaluations of these treatments were in favour of the foliar spray treatments. Addition of Mn and Zn chelates together with iron failed to give higher growth and yield response over the individual application of iron.

Key words:

• Seeded balady lime
• cultivar
• Total Soluble solids(T.S.S.) Ascorbic acid content(V.C.)
• Citric acid(Juice acidity)