Preliminary studies on fertilization of mango trees under U.A.E. conditions: I - Response of Alfons mango trees for organic fertilization chicken manure.
El-Wakeel H. F.
Author Affiliation: Dept. of Hort., Fac. of Agric., Ain Shams Univ., Shobra El-Khima, Cairo, Egypt.
Annals of Agricultural Science (Cairo) 50 : 551-562
Abstract : The effects of chicken manure (CM) as source, singly or in combination with urea, on the performance of 12-year-old trees of mango (cv. Alfons) were studied at the Dibba Al-Fujaira Fruit Research Station, United Arab Emirates, during 2001-03. The treatments consisted of: 100% CM (22.5 kg per tree; T1); 75% CM (16.80 kg per tree) + 25% urea (0.45 kg per tree; T2); 50% CM (5.63 kg per tree) + 50% urea (0.90 kg per tree; T3); 25% CM (5.63 kg per tree) + 75% urea (1.35 kg per tree; T4); and 0% CM + 100% urea (1.8 kg per tree; T5). The leaf dry matter and Mg contents did not significantly vary with the treatment. Leaf N and P contents, significantly affected by the treatments only in 2001, were highest under T5. Leaf K contents were highest under T1 (0.72%) and T2 (0.75%) in 2001; T2 (1.10%), T4 (0.92%) and T5 (0.97%) in 2002; and T1 (1.17%) in 2003. Leaf Ca contents were highest under T4 (1.81%) in 2001, T1 (1.33%) in 2002, and T2 (0.98%) and T5 (0.92%) in 2003. These results indicated that CM at 22.5 kg per tree was optimum as a source of macronutrients for Alfonso. CM at 25 and 50% was the most effective in the enhancement of yield and fruit quality parameters (number of fruits per tree, yield per tree, fruit weight, fruit length, fruit width, fruit thickness, TSS [total soluble solids] content, acidity, and ascorbic acid content).