Enhancing Le-Conte Pear Trees Performance by Foliar Spray with Different Iron Concentrations

Abstract

Pear trees cv. Le Conte (Pyrus communis, L.) budded on Pyrus communis rootstock, uniform in vigor, thirteen years old, grown in sandy soil spaced at 4x4 m, under drip irrigation system in a private orchard located at El-Tall El-Kepeer, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt. Trees were foliar sprayed by five mineral iron concentrations (0.0, 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 ppm) as ferrous sulphate (FeSO₄.7H₂O) form at two times (Mid May and June) during successive seasons 2014 and 2015. This study was conducted with the aim to examine the response of leaf chlorophyll content, active iron, nutrient status, yield components quantity and quality of Le Conte pear trees to foliar feeding of iron concentrations as well as to evaluation the current status of foliar fertilization procedures to correct iron chlorosis in the newly soil reclaimed. Generally, results showed that all treatments had a positive effect on almost measurements in this study; such as nutrition status, fruit physical and chemical properties as well as fruit yield quantity and quality. The best treatment was achieved by foliar spray of iron at 1000 ppm in this respect. Authors can be concluded that foliar applications of Fe nutrient has an important positive effect on the yield and quality parameters of Le Conte pear fruits under this study conditions, with attaching by adding soil or foliar application of calcium fertilizer especially, at high iron foliar spray levels.