EFFECT OF ORGANIC AND BIOFERTILIZATION ON GROWTH, YIELD, FRUIT QUALITY AND LEAF MINERAL CONTENT OF SUPERIOR GRAPEVINES

Abstract

This investigation was carried out through two successive seasons (2012 and 2013) in a private grapevine orchard located at 76 kilometer from Cairo on the desert road to Alexandria, Egypt on five years- old Superior grapevines budded on salt creek rootstock grown in a sandy loam soil. Planting distance was 2 X 3 meters apart under drip irrigation system with well water, the vines were cane-pruned and trellised by the modified "Baron" system. The aim of this study was to examine the possibility of saving nitrogen requirement by using organic and biological nitrogen fertilizers comepletely instead of mineral nitrogen fertilizers. Mineral nitrogen fertilization was applied as “ammonium nitrate” (33.5% N) by the rate 60 kg actual N/fed about (85.7 g/N/vine) as a control treatment. The experiment included two sources of organic manure (compost and chicken manure) each organic source consisted of four levels (100%, suboptimal levels 75%, 50% and 25%) meaning, addition of (60, 45, 30 and 15 kg actual N/fed), respectively and four levels of biofertilizer Nitrobein (0, 9, 12 and 15 ml/vine). Thus the experiment consists of 9 treatments arranged as a randomized complete block design. Each treatment included three replicates and each represented by three vines. Results showed that, the best values of yield, fruit quality and petioles macro and micronutrient content in most cases were observed by T9 (mineral treatment) equaled by chicken manure treatment especially T6 (75% chicken manure + 9 ml Nitrobein). All organic manure treatments gave lower significant values of berry juice nitrate and nitrite content compared with T9 (mineral treatment). Therefore, Superior grapevine production in Egypt can rely on organic manure as an alternative to mineral fertilization and culd be reduce 25% from actual nitrogen addition. Chicken manure might be used as most available and economic substitute for compost with increasing in yield, fruit quality and nutrients status as well as reducing environmental pollution and the best treatment was (75% chicken manure + 9 ml Nitrobein).

Key words: Chicken manure - compost- fruit quality - Nitrobein- Superior grapevine- Yield