STUDY ON EVALUATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF THE PRODUCTIVITY OF APRICOT CULTIVAR “PRIANA” CULTIVATED UNDEREGYPT CONDITION

Abstract

This study was conducted during the two successive seasons of 2016 and 2017 on "priana" apricot cultivar. The trees were 5 –years old– growing in a sandy soil at planting distance of 4 x 5m, irrigated by drip irrigation system and received similar cultural practices adopted in the orchard. Trees were planted in a private orchard at El-Khatatba regian, Menophia, Governorate, Egypt. The main goal of this study was conducted in order to evaluate the performance of "Priana" apricot cultivar under the Egyptian desert conditions by studying its chilling requirements addition to determine the effectiveness of new alternatives of natural garlic oils and hydrogen peroxide compared to chemical compound hydrogen cyanamide on dormancy breaking of apricot. In addition to study the improvement of the "Priana" apricot fruit quality by doing a fruit thinning or spraying of nutrients. To achieve this goal, four experiments were conducted: 1. The first experiment: Chilling requirement (Laboratory experiment) At mid-November, 100 cuttings (15 cuttings for each treatment) around 30cm in length have been chosen randomly from one year shoots.Cuttings were wrapped in slightly wet (moistened) newspapers and placed in plastic bags. The bags were preserved in cold storage at 7.2°C (± 0.2) for cold periods 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 hours to accumulatechilling hours. After each treatment, chilled cutting were put in containers with enough water (half inch above the base cut surface) in a growth room at temperature of 22 - 25°C under cool white fluorescent light source (16-h photoperiod). The basal cuts of these cutting were renewed weekly and the water level was checked daily and changed every other day. Then percentages of bud break were calculated within the growth room