Volume 19
Issue 1/volume19
Horticulture
JOURNAL OF
POLISH
AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITIES
Available Online: http://www.ejpau.media.pl/volume19/issue1/volume19/abs-01.html
EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT CALCIUM TREATMENTS ON ENDOCARP LESION DISORDER AND SOME NUT CHARACTERISTICS IN PISTACIA VERA CV. AKBARI
Hossein Sajadian
Department of Agriculture Science, Payame Noor University, Iran
ABSTRACT
In Iran, pistachio is affected by fruit Endocarp Lesion disorder, which occurs as a result of calcium deficiency. To investigate the effects of different calcium treatments on this disorder and some nut characteristics in Pistacia vera cv. Akbari, an experiment was conducted using completely randomized design with five treatments in three replications on 20-year-old trees in Rafsanjan. The treatments included T1 – control treatment, T2 – calcium sulfate (gypsum), T3 – calcium sulfate and calcium chelate foliar spray, T4 – calcium sulfate and calcium nitrate and T5 – calcium sulfate, calcium nitrate and calcium chelate foliar spray. The results showed that different calcium treatments had a significant effect on the percentage of undamaged fruits and damaged fruits by the disorder. The highest and lowest percentage of undamaged and damaged fruits was observed in T5. In evaluating nut characteristics, the highest percentage of splitting nuts, the least percentage of non-splitting nuts and immature nuts, and the least number of grains per one ounce were obtained in T5. In measuring leaf nutrient contents, the least amount of Mg, the highest amount of Ca and the highest ratio of Ca/Mg in leaves were observed in T5. The high ratio of Ca/Mg reduced Mg poisoning and also the Endocarp Lesion. As shown in the results, application of calcium sulfate (gypsum), calcium nitrate and calcium chelate foliar spray (T5) can be more favorable than other treatments, in reducing Endocarp Lesion disorder and improving nut characteristics in Pistacia vera cv. Akbari.
Key words: Pistachio, endocarp lesion disorder, calcium, nut characteristics.
Hossein Sajadian
Department of Agriculture Science, Payame Noor University, Iran
email: hssajadian@yahoo.com
Responses to this article, comments are invited and should be submitted within three months of the publication of the article. If accepted for publication, they will be published in the chapter headed 'Discussions' and hyperlinked to the article.