THE USE OF CERTAIN NATURAL ORGANIC BY-PRODUCTS AS FOLIAR SPRAY TO CORRECT MICRONUTRIENTS DEFFICIENCY IN PLANTS

Abstract

Foliar spray of single or mixed nutrients as stimulant solutions for the plants growth has been reported by many authors (Bakhat, 1962; El gala et a!, 1976; Effat, 1988; Makram & El Shihawy, 1995; Abdel Megeed eta!, 1997; Mohamed & Helal, 1999. some of such numerous commercial solutions are either chemical synthetic or natural organic components. Therefore, the current study was carried out to investigate the possibility of using certain natural organic by - products such as sugarcane or sugar beet molasses as a foliar spray to correct micro and macro elements deficiency in cotton and faba bean plants in related reference to "Grona" commercial chemical synthetic solution. The obtained results of the current study c:ould be summarized as follows:- (1) Molasses have a considerable amount of sugars and small amount of amino acids and some of micro elements such as Fe, Mn and Zn. However, they have storage in some macro elements (N and P). Fermentation process of both sugarcane and sugar beet by Saccharomyces cerecvisiae succeeded to change quantitatively the profile of molasses amino acids especially proline, cysteine, metheonin, aspartic, glutamic and tyrosine. (2) Fermented sugarcane and sugar beet molasses by S. cerecvisiae contained some organic acids such as citric, succinic and lactic acids as well as trace amounts of methanol ranged from 0.02 to 0.03%. (3) Significant increases in (kinttar/ fed.) in cotton yield were obtained with foliar spray of fermented sugarcane or sugar beet molasses and chemical synthetic "Grona" solution in comparison with the control treatment, the increases in cotton yield I Fed.