Effect of Cobalt and some Vitamins as Foliar Application Treatments on Productivity and Quality of Williams Banana Cultivar

Abstract

This study was conducted during two successive seasons (2012/2013 first ratoon and 2013/2014 second ratoon) on Williams banana cultivar grown in clay loam soil under flood irrigation system in a private banana orchard located at El-Hagabey district, Meet Ghamr Dakahlia Governorate, at 3x3.5 m apart. Forty five stools/(mat) ,each containing two plants of Williams cultivar were chosen to evaluate the effect of foliar spray with Cobalt , Vit B 12 and ascorbic acid (Vit C) singly, double or in triple combinations, beside control treatment on yield and fruit quality of the tested Williams banana cv. These treatments were arranged in a randomized complete blocks design with three replicates. The obtained results could be summarized as follows:Sprayed banana plants with the mixture of cobalt sulphate + Vit B 12 + Vit C at 50+50+500 ppm each (T 14) recorded increases in bunch weight, yield /fed. and number of fingers /bunch were about 63.34 , 65.49 and 15.22 % over control treatment, respectively. The plants which sprayed with the mixture of cobalt sulphate + Vit C at 100+1000 ppm each (T 11) gave the highest values of hand and finger weight and recorded increases about 54.00 and 62.82% over control treatment, respectively .The highest values of total sugars , SSC/TA and Vit.C were obtained by the plants which sprayed with cobalt sulphate + Vit B 12 + Vit C at 100+100+1000 ppm each (T 15) average two seasons and recorded the relative increases were about 24.62, 100.56 and 44.34% over control, respectively.