EFFECT OF ORGANIC FERTILIZATION, IRRIGATION INTERVALS AND SOME ANTITRANSPIRANTS ON GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF EGGPLANT (Solanum melongina L.)

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out at the Horticulture experimental station of Ministry of Agricultural at El-Baramon experimental farm, Dakahlia Government, Egypt., during the two successive summer seasons of 2011 and 2012 to investigate the effect of irrigation intervals, foliar application of different antitranspirants under compost rates as well as their interactions on growth and productivity of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.). Twenty four treatments were arranged in split-split plots design, which were the simple possible combination between three rates of organic manure (0, 50 and 100% from recommended doses), two treatments of irrigation intervals (10 and 20 days) and four treatments of foliar application from antitranspirants (control, kaoline, CaCO3 and dyroton). Each treatment was replicated three times. The most important findings could be summarized as follows: Increasing compost from 0 to 4 ton/fed. significantly increased vegetative growth of eggplant, yield and its components, fruit quality and its chemical composition N, P, K%, Fe ppm, TSS% and VC(mg/100g). Short irrigation intervals (10days) significantly increased all parameters under investigation. The spraying with dyroton at 3% led to significant increase in growth characters traits, N,P,K%, Fe ppm, TSS%, VC, firmness, fruit quality and yield as well as its components. The interaction between organic manure and irrigation intervals significantly affected growth parameters, yield, fruit quality and its chemical composition except stem diameter in the 2 nd season, N%, TSS% in the 1 st season, K% and average fruit weight during both seasons. Interaction effect of organic manure and antitranspirants significantly affected growth parameters, yield, fruit quality and its chemical composition except K% and stem diameter in the 2 nd season; VC and average fruit weight during both seasons. Interaction effect between irrigation intervals and antitranspirants characters under investigation had significant effect on all studied treats except TSS% in the 1 st season, stem diameter in 2 nd K, VC and average fruit weight during both seasons. The interaction effect between organic manure, irrigation intervals and antitranspirants significantly affected to growth parameters, yield, fruit quality and its chemical composition except average fruit weight during both seasons. Keywords:organic manure, irrigation intervals, antitranspirants and eggplant(Solanum melongena L.).