EFFECT OF SOME AGRICULTURAL TREATMENTS ON GROWTH AND YIELD AS RELATED TO ALTERNATE BEARING OF JAPANESE PERSIMMON

Abstract

The present study was carried out during 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 seasons on 8 years old "Costata" persimmon trees grafted on D. lotus rootstock and grown in EI-Nobaria region where the soil is calcareous. The purpose of this work was to study alternate bearing habit of."Costata" persimmon trees and to develop economic ways to minimize such habit by using some agricultural treatments. So this study was planted in two separate experiments. In experiment I, trees were classified to "Off' and "On" year trees to compare between them and to evaluate• the effects of crop loading on vegetative growth, yield, branch breaking and fruit quality. In experiment II, three levels of nitrogen and three degrees of heading back pruning in nine agricultural treatments including the control were used with "Off' and "On" year tree groups in a randomized complete block design as a factorial experiment. The combination treatments effects were studied on vegetative growth, flowering, fruit setting, yield, fruit quality and nutritional status of "On" and "Off' year "Costata" persimmon trees.