EFFECT OF POTASSIUM AND HUMIC ACID ON PRODUCTIVITY AND FRUIT QUALITY OF WONDERFUL POMEGRANATE VARIETY

A two-year trial was conducted during 2017 and 2018 seasons on Wonderful pomegranate orchard about 7 years old grown in sandy soil under drip irrigation system from well at private orchard located on Cairo-Alexandria desert road (about 50km from Cairo), Egypt. Potassium fertilizer at 250 and 350g /tree/ year alone and/or humic acid at 20 and 30g/ tree/year, added as a soil application divided into two equal doses applied at two times a year in the first week of May and July in both seasons. Generally, all tested treatments enhanced leaf characteristics, yield and fruit quality traits as well as improved fruit marketable and minimized cracked fruit percentage and sunburned fruit percentage. Moreover, soil application of potassium at 350g /tree/ year combined with humic acid at 30g/tree/year, proved to be the most efficient treatment in this respect.