RESPONSE OF LE-CONTE PEAR TREES GROWN UNDEREGYPTIAN CODITION TO SOME FOLIAR APPLICATIONS an‎d SOIL SPRAYING WITH AGAR SOLUTION.

The present investigation was carried out during two successive seasons of 2008 and 2009 at El-Kassasin Research Station (sandy loam soil) under drip irrigation system, on Le-Conte pear trees. The work aimed at studying the effectiveness of foliar application treatments with soluble K2SO4 (SOP), putrescine, chelated micronutrients (Fe + Zn + Mn) solely or in combination and soil spray treatment with Agar solution (as soil conditioner) in improving pear vegetative growth, fruit yield and its quality. The obtained results showed a pronounced enhancement in the studied vegetative growth characters (No.of leaves and leaf area), chlorophyll (A), chlorophyll (B) and carotene contents as a result of foliar spray treatments. Moreover, these treatments corrected the nutritional status of trees leading to significant increases in fruit yield and an improvement in fruit quality characters (fruit weight, size, firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), acidity, and TSS/acidity ratio). The best results were obtained with the treatment of combination between potassium + putrescine + micronutrients which achieved percentage increases over control; 24.5% in fruit yield, 12.6% in fruit weight and 13.4% in fruit size. This investigation also showed a promising result concerning using Agar solution, as a soil conditioner. Such treatment exhibited positive responses in all the studied growth parameters and fruit yield. Yet, it might need more time than two seasons in order to have remarkable beneficial effects; as a soil conditioner, being used under drip irrigation system.