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Abstract SUMMARY Strawberry plants as affected by N fertilization at variable rates without or with nitropyrin compination at different doses was the aim of this investigation. Cold stored seedlings of ”Sequoia” (Frigo plants) were used in these experiments. Incubation experiment (or studying nitrapyrin persistence and degradation in soil as influenced by physical, chemical and bacteriological action has been executed in small vials at room temperature for four months, Pot experiment in the greenhouse at the Strawberry Center in the Faculty of Agriculture-Am Shams University and further field experiments at the Southern Sector of El-Tahreer Province were also carried out. hi the pot experiment, ammonium sulphate as a source of nitrogen was applied at 100, 1 SO and 200 kg N/Feddan without or with nitrapyrin at 0.5 and 1.0 lb/Feddan. In the field experiment, nitropyrin was only applied at 0.5 lb/Feddan. Results could be summarized individually as follows: A) Incubation uperiment: * Nitrapyrin in the 15 day periodically aerated system at concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 1.6 ppm resulted in less than 1096 conversion of ammonia into nitrate when incubated with soil at room - 89 - temperature for four months. The control and lower concentrations of nitrapyrin, however, revealed rapid consumption of ammonia through the first ten weeks. * Reinfestation in the 15 day periodically aerated system increased the nitrification process in soil resulting in complete conversion of ammonia into nitrate within four months of incubation even at the highest concentration of nitrapyrin. * Nitrification took place rapidly in the open incubation system as a result of rapid volatilization of nitrapyrin. B) The pot and field experiments: 1. Ph)lsical and chemical characteristics o( (nzits: oj Firrrrness: * Strawberry f”.tits exhibited a gradual decrease in firmness with harvesting time towards the end of the season. * Increasing N fertilization doses resulted in an apparent decrease in firmness. * Nitrapyrin at different doses in combination with N fertilizers decreased fruit firmness except for treatments with high rates of nitrogen (200 kglFeddan) where fruits were suffering from deformation. - 90 - * b) Fruit weight: Harvesting time had an apparent effect on average fruit weight. Fruits were relatively large at the middle of harvesting season. Small fruits, however, were usually observed at the begining and end of the season. * Increasing N fertilization doses increased the average [ruit weight. * Nitrapyrin at a rate of 0.5 lb/Feddan in combination with 100 and 150 kg N/Feddan gave an apparent increase in average fruit weight. Higher dose of nitrapyrin with different N fertilization treatments showed either no or even negative effects, sometimes concomitant with severe deformation in fruit shape. * c) TSS4Jf. Total soluble solids percentage revealed an apparent DROP in the middle of the season corresponding to the maximum average fruit weight values. High doses of N fertilization showed a relative increase in TS596. * Nitrapyrin at a rote of 0.5 or 1 Ib/Feddan, was fOlmd to increase the T5S96 for the 100 N and 150 N treatments specially at the early harvesting stages. No marked increase llIClS observed for the 200 N treatment. - 91 - •• dJ Total acidity, pH value, augurs and ascorbic acid: No relationships could be realized from the data of total acidity, pH, sugars and ascorbic acid contents as affected by the different N fertilization treatments with or without nitrapyrin. 2. CrOp pnxtuction of the pot uperiment: a} Fertilization treatments with 100 kg N/FeddDn: •• Nitrapyrin was foUTtd to increase plant growth as confirmed from the dry weight of plants at the end of the harvesting season. The crop production exhibited an apparent increase by using nitrapyrin at 0.5 lb/Feddan while the higher dose rsulted in, lower fruit yields. b) Fertilization treatments with 150 leg N/Feddan: •• Increasing the N fertilization dose from 100 to 150 kg/Feddan revealed a corresponding increase in both crop production and plant growth • •• Nitrapyrin at a rate of 0.5 lb/Feddan increased both crop production and dry matter weight of plants. * Increasing the nitrapyrin dose to 1 lb/Feddan resulted in stunting of plants with a striking DROP in the crop production. •• c) Fertilization treatments with 200 Jql N/Feddan: Although an apparent increase in growth was observed with 200 kg N/Feddan, no marked increase in crop production occurred. -- - -_._- - - - - -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - -- --~~ - 92 - Nitrapyrin at both concentration rates (0.5 and 1 lb/Feddan) caused severe sttBlting of plants with a marked DROP in crop production. * Generally, fertilization at 150 kg N/Feddan in combination with nitrapyrin at a rate of 0.5 lb/Feddan gave the best results for crop production. 3. Crop production of the field uperimertt: * Nitrapyrin at a rate of 0.5 lb/Feddan had a positive effect on both plant growth and fruit production exhibiting an increase of about 98 and 10% for the 100 N treat ment and 29 and 31% for the 150 one, respectively. The same dose of nitrapyrin, however, had a negative effect on lx>th growth and crop production when combined with the 200 N treatment. * Generally, application of nitrapyrin at a rate of 0.5 lb/Feddan in combination ””ith 150 kg N/Feddan was economically and commercially the best of all fertilization treatments. 1l allowed continuous high yield production of fn.dts of quite good quality throughout the season. |