EFFECT OF NITROGEN AND HUMIC ACID ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH, YIELDAND FRUIT QUALITY OF WONDERFUL POMEGRANATE TREES

An experiment trial was carried out in a private orchard located on Cairo-Alexandria desert road about 50 km from Cairo (latitude 30.35 N, longitude 33.20 E at an elevation of 200 m above sea level),Egypt, during the two successive seasons of 2017 and 2018 to study the effect of different level of nitrogen fertilization (250, 350, and 450 g N/tree), humic acid application (0, 20 and 30 g HA/tree) and their interaction on vegetative growth, productivity, fruit quality and sunburned fruits as well as fruit cracking of Wonderful pomegranate trees. From the obtained results reveal that soil application of 450 g N/tree and humic acid application at 40 g/tree alone or in combination had a positive effect in improved yield, fruit quality and decreasing fruit cracking, sunburned damage of the Wonderful pomegranate cultivar as well as increased tree vegetative growth to shield the fruit from cracking and sunburn damage. Generally, 450g N/tree combined with 40g HA/tree as a soil application proved to be most efficient effect application in this respect.