EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF NITROGEN AND POTASSIUM ON GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF TANGARIN CV. MURCOTT BUDDED ON SOUR ORANGE AND VOLKAMER ROOTSTOCKS

Abstract

The present study has been carried out to study the effect of rootstock types, N and K fertilization levels on physiological caricaturists of Murcott tangerine trees (Citrus sinensis L[L.] Osbeck. X Citrus reticulate) during three successive seasons (2012/13, 2013/14 & 2014/15) budded on sour orange (Citrus aurantium) and Volkamer lemon (C. volkameriana Ten & Pasq) rootstocks. Murcott tangerines trees were 5 years old and planting distance was at 4×5 meter, in sandy loam soil under drip irrigation system by Nile river water in private orchard at Al-Nobaria region, EL- Beheira Governorate, Egypt. The study comprised two rootstocks [sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) or volkamer lemon (Citrus volkameriana L.)] and fertilized with three nitrogen rates (750, 1000 and 1250 g N/tree/year as ammonium nitrate 33.5%) and three potassium rats(750,1000 and 1250 g K2O/tree/year as potassium sulphate (48 %K2O). The experiment was arranged in a factorial experimental contained 2 rootstock types X 3 N levels X 3 K levels = 18 treatments. Each treatment had five replicates and a tree for each, in randomize complete block design. The obtained results could be summarized as follows: