Pre-harvest Foliar Spray of Calcium, GA3, and Salicylic Acid to Enhance Apricot Yield and Fruit Quality Adel M. Al-Saif, Hosny F. Abdel-Aziz, Abd El-wahed N. Abd El-wahed, Sobhy M. Khalifa, Ibrahim A. Elnaggar, et al. Bioresources, 2025 The impact of different pre-harvest foliar sprays was assessed relative to the yield and quality of apricot fruits (cv. El-Amal) under field conditions. Apricot trees were sprayed with various solutions, including salicylic acid (SA at 250 and 750 ppm), calcium acetate [Ca(OAc)₂ at 2% and 4%], calcium chloride (CaCl₂ at 2% and 4%), and gibberellic acid (GA₃ at 25 and 100 ppm) at the pit hardening growth stage before harvest. All foliar spray treatments positively affected fruit yield per tree compared to untreated plants. The most effective treatments were CaCl₂ at 4% and GA₃ at 100 ppm, followed by SA at 750 ppm and Ca(OAc)₂ at 4%. All treatments significantly increased fruit weight compared to the control group. GA₃ also significantly improved fruit firmness, outperforming all other treatments. Additionally, CaCl₂ at 2% and SA at 250 ppm resulted in higher firmness. SA at 750 ppm exhibited higher total soluble solid (TSS) content. While the foliar spray treatment without any solution resulted in the lowest fruit acidity, SA at 250 ppm had the highest acidity. In conclusion, pre-harvest foliar application of GA₃ (100 ppm), CaCl₂ (2%), and Ca(OAc)₂ (4%) can effectively enhance fruit yield and improve quality of apricots.
Licorice-root extract and potassium sorbate spray improved the yield and fruit quality and decreased heat stress of the ‘osteen’ mango cultivar Adel M. Al-Saif, Haitham Ahmed El-khamissi, Ibrahim Ahmed Elnaggar, Mohammed Hamdy Farouk, Magdy Abd El-Wahab Omar, et al. Peerj, 2024 Heat stress, low mango yields and inconsistent fruit quality are main challenges for growers. Recently, licorice-root extract (LRE) has been utilized to enhance vegetative growth, yield, and tolerance to abiotic stresses in fruit trees. Potassium sorbate (PS) also plays a significant role in various physiological and biochemical processes that are essential for mango growth, quality and abiotic stress tolerance. This work aimed to elucidate the effects of foliar sprays containing LRE and PS on the growth, yield, fruit quality, total chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzymes of ‘Osteen’ mango trees. The mango trees were sprayed with LRE at 0, 2, 4 and 6 g/L and PS 0, 1, 2, and 3 mM. In mid-May, the mango trees were sprayed with a foliar solution, followed by monthly applications until 1 month before harvest. The results showed that trees with the highest concentration (6 g/L) of LRE exhibited the maximum leaf area, followed by those treated with the highest concentration (3 mM) of PS. Application of LRE and PS to Osteen mango trees significantly enhanced fruit weight, number of fruits per tree, yield (kg/tree), yield increasing%, and reduced number of sun-burned fruits compared to the control. LRE and PS foliar sprays to Osteen mango trees significantly enhanced fruit total soluble solids ˚Brix, TSS/acid ratio, and vitamin C content compared to the control. Meanwhile, total acidity percentage in ‘Osteen’ mango fruits significantly decreased after both LRE and PS foliar sprays. ‘Osteen’ mango trees showed a significant increase in leaf area, total chlorophyll content, total pigments, and leaf carotenoids. Our results suggest that foliar sprays containing LRE and PS significantly improved growth parameters, yield, fruit quality, antioxidant content, and total pigment concentration in ‘Osteen’ mango trees. Moreover, the most effective treatments were 3 mM PS and 6 g/L LRE. LRE and PS foliar spray caused a significant increase in yield percentage by 305.77%, and 232.44%, in the first season, and 242.55%, 232.44% in the second season, respectively.
In Vitro Drought Tolerance of Some Grape Rootstocks Abdullah I. Alebidi, Adel M. Al-Saif, Hosny F. Abdel Aziz, Gamal A. Abdrabboh, Ibrahim A. Elnaggar, et al. Journal of Ecological Engineering, 2024 Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of drought strain, which poses a first-rate task to grapevine production. This have a look at investigated the response of four grape rootstocks (Richter, Salt Creek, Freedom, and Dogridge) to water deficit prompted by way of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Two pressure induction techniques had been as compared: surprise remedy, related to direct exposure of cultures to growing PEG concentrations (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%); and step-clever long-time period remedy, steadily increasing PEG concentrations (0%, 6%, 8%, and 10%) through the years. The essential findings were as fol - lows: drought strain negatively impacted all rootstocks, leading to decreased morphological tendencies (shoot number, period, and root number), survival %, and biochemical parameters (chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, stomata popularity, RWC content material). It additionally led to reduced nutrient accumulation (N, P, K, Mg, Ca) in leaves. However, all rootstocks exhibited increased Proline content and antioxidant enzyme hobby under all PEG concentrations. In phrases of rootstock-unique responses, Richter and Salt Creek showed the maximum sturdy performance, maintaining better shoot and root growth, nutrient content, and photosynthetic hobby compared to Freedom and Dogridge. On the alternative hand, Freedom and Dogridge exhibited extra sensitivity to drought stress, experiencing stronger discounts in boom, biochemical parameters, and nutrient accumulation. In conclusion Richter and Salt Creek rootstocks could be valuable equipment for reinforcing drought tolerance in grapevines. The two carried out PEG remedies provide valuable methods for screening and deciding on drought-tolerant grape rootstocks.
Morphological, Physiological, and Biochemical Responses of Some Olive Tree Cultivars to Low Temperature Stress Adel M. Al-Saif, Hosny F. Abdel-Aziz, Haitham El-khamissi, Ahmed F. Abd El-Hakim, Abd El-wahed N. Abd El-wahed, et al. Bioresources, 2024 This study evaluated the impact of night frost incidents on the biochemical, physiological, and reproductive functions of the olive varieties Manzanillo, Coratina, Koroneiki, and Picual. Certain cultivars were more suited to moderate cold night stress than others, based on the changes in the performance of the stressed plants, including vegetative growth, tree yield, fruit physical characteristics, and fruit chemical characteristics. Compared to other tested cultivars, the biochemical responses of the plants in terms of photosynthetic pigments, relative water content (RWC), total phenolic compounds, total flavonoid, and antioxidant enzyme accumulation demonstrated that some cultivars could withstand the applied stress. The conclusion that some cultivars responded differently to cold stress than others was supported by the plant phenology. This research could be a game-changer for farmers. By understanding how olive trees adapt to cold snaps, a common stressor in open fields, they can make informed decisions about breeding and choosing the best cultivars, ultimately leading to more resilient crops. The results showed that all tested olive tree cultivars differ significantly regarding cold stress conditions. Coratina and Koroneiki were the most resistant tested cultivars in terms of biochemical, physiological, and reproductive functions, followed in ascending order by Manzanello and Picual.
Pruning Boosts Growth, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Old Valencia Orange Trees: A Field Study Adel M. Al-Saif, Hosny F. Abdel-Aziz, Sobhy M. Khalifa, Ibrahim A. Elnaggar, Abd El-wahed N. Abd El-wahed, et al. Agriculture Switzerland, 2023 Pruning is an essential practice that helps control branch growth, optimize fruit size, and enhance fruit tree productivity. This study focused on ‘Valencia’ orange trees, which had experienced a decline in productivity after being cultivated on reclaimed lands for several years. The aim was to explore the impact of pruning intensity on vegetation growth, fruit yield, productivity, and fruit quality in these orange trees. The study involved 35-year-old ‘Valencia’ orange trees, which were subjected to four different levels of pruning. The pruning treatments included: T1—no pruning (control group), T2—light pruning (removal of 25% of main branches), T3—moderate pruning (removal of 50% of main branches), and T4—heavy pruning (removal of 75% of main branches). Each season, these pruning measures were consistently carried out on 15 February. The results indicated that the severity of pruning directly influenced vegetative growth parameters, such as shoot length and leaf area. As the pruning intensity increased, so did the growth of the vegetation. However, the overall volume of the tree’s canopy decreased compared to the control group. These findings provide insights into the relationship between pruning practices and the growth and productivity of ‘Valencia’ orange trees. The highest fruit yields were observed when pruning was carried out at a severity level of 75%, followed by 50 and 25%. These pruning treatments had a positive impact on various aspects of fruit quality, including weight, size, firmness, juice content, TSS (°Brix), TSS/acid ratio, and vitamin C content. Additionally, pruning contributed to a greater fruit yield per tree and an overall increase in the yield percentage. In essence, the findings suggest that pruning performed at different severity levels in February effectively promotes vegetation growth and enhances the physical and chemical properties of ‘Valencia’ orange trees. Notably, it resulted in a nearly 20% rise in fruit yield compared to the control group.
Influence of salt stress on morphological and biochemical characteristics of peach (Prunus persica L.) Nemaguard rootstock in vitro Plant Archives, 2020
