Effect of some rare earth elements on yield and quality of superior grapes

Abstract

This study was carried out during 2014 and 2015 seasons in a private farm, located at 64 Kilometers, Cairo-Alexandria desert road, on mature Superior grapevines (Vitis vinifera L) .The vines were 5 years old grown in sandy loam soil, spaced at 2×3 meters trained as Y shape system under drip irrigation system was used. The study aimed to investigate the effect of some rare earth elements and their mixture on the yield and quality of Superior grapes .The study included 13 treatments which were: lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), neodymium(Nd) , and their mixture at 5, 10, 20 ppm in addition to control. Treatments were arranged in a complete randomized block design. The clusters of each treatment were dipped twice in the treatments, the first was at fruit set and the second during veriason stage .The obtained results indicated that 10 ppm of (Nd) recorded significant increments in yield/vine and berry length, While 10 ppm of (La) gave the highest values of weight and volume of 100 berries and Ca content. Moreover 5 ppm of (Ce) recorded the highest values of cluster length, firmness, Ca and P content, On the other side, 10 ppm (Ce) and 20 ppm Mixture gave the lowest values of berry shuttering percentage and the highest fruit potassium content.The study recommended that its important to apply Superior grapevine twice, frist at fruit set and second at vriason stage with low concentrations of REEs i.e.,(Ce),(La) and (Nd) or their mixture to increase yield and quality and decrease berry shuttering .