Response of Date Palms Cv. Zahdi to Foliar Spray with Urea and Seaweed Extract

Abstract

This study was conducted in one of the private palm groves in Anbar governorate, Heet city, Al-Furat district during the 2019-2020 growing season on date palm trees (Zahdi cultivar), to study the effect spraying urea at a concentration (0, 1 and 2 g L-1) and seaweed algae extract at a concentration (0, 2 and 4 ml L-1). Twenty-seven of 20-year-old trees were selected. A factorial experiment was carried out in randomized complete blocks design (RCBD) included 9 treatments and 3 replications. The results showed that urea treatments especially 2 g L-1 have the best yield traits (fruit weight, cluster weight, yield and reducing sugars in fruits which reached (9.62 g, 13.62 kg, 163.2 kg tree-1 and 54.07%), respectively. As to 1g L-1 urea gave the highest volume of fruits which is (6.43 cm3). Whereas the urea has no significant effect on the nitrate content in fruits . On the other hand, the spraying with 4 ml L-1 of seaweed extract has significant effect on volume of fruits and reducing sugars that reached to the highest values of (6.21 cm3 and 53.86%), respectively. While the concentration of 2 ml L-1 revealed the highest cluster weight of (13.21kg and total yield of 132.1kg tree-1). Furthermore, it reduced nitrate content of fruit to the minimum level of (30.95 mg L-1).