EFFECT OF IRRIGATION INTERVALS AND SOME ANTITRANSPIRANTS ON GROWTH, YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF EGGPLANT

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted at Kafer EI-Wekala, Sherbin, El-Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt during the two summer seasons of 2013 and 2014 to study the effect of two water irrigation intervals, i.e., 10 and 15 days as well as foliar applications of some antitranspirants, i.e., control, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate and kaolin on growth, chemical composition, yield and fruit quality of eggplant cv. black beauty cultivated under furrow irrigation system in Nile Delta lands. The results showed that the lowest irrigation interval at 10 days combined with foliar application with kaolin induced significant effect on number of branches per plant, fresh and dry weight plant, as well as leaf area, followed by irrigation with the highest interval (15 days) combined with foliar application with kaolin. Moreover, the same treatment had a significant effect on total chlorophyll, N, P, K and Fe contents of eggplant foliage followed by irrigation every 15 days combined with foliar application with kaolin. It was found also that, significant effect on number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight, early and total yield per feddan of eggplant were recorded with spraying eggplant with kaolin under 10 days irrigation interval followed by spraying with kaolin under 15 days irrigation interval. Concerning to fruit quality it can said that irrigation eggplant every 10 days combined with foliar application of kaolin had the highest significant effect on TSS, vitamin C and titratable acidity in eggplant fruits followed by applying the high irrigation interval (15 days) combined with foliar application of kaolin. Generally, it can from this study recommend that it is possible to improve eggplant fruit yield and its quality by irrigation every 15 days combined with foliar spray with kaolin (4%, 4 times during the season) improve yield and quality as well as saving about 33% of the total used irrigation water quantity in eggplant production under furrow irrigation system in Nile Delta lands.