الفهرس 
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Abstract
The present investigation was executed during two successive seasons of 2019 and 2020 on Sewi date palms to evaluate the effect of amino acids, yeast and some plant extracts (turmeric and cinnamon) on fruiting of Sewi date palm cultivar under Assiut climatic conditions, Egypt.
The date palms were grown in the experimental orchard of Pomology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Egypt, where the soil is clay loam. Ten healthy palms were randomly selected and at the same age of 35 years-old, uniform in vigor, healthy in good physical conditions, free from insects and diseases. the bunch/leaf ratio has been adjusted to be 1:8 during the pollination process. Bunches were thinned to nine per palm by removing excess earliest, latest and smallest ones.
The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) including nine treatments and they are arranged as follow: -
T1- Spraying with amino acids (500 ppm)
T2- Spraying with amino Acids (1000 ppm)
T3- Spraying with dry yeast (5.0 g/L)
T4- Spraying with dry yeast (10.0 g/L)
T5- Spraying with turmeric extract (500 ppm)
T6- Spraying with turmeric extract (1000 ppm)
T7- Spraying with cinnamon extract (500 ppm)
T8- Spraying with cinnamon extract (1000 ppm)
T9- Spraying with water (control).
The previous studied treatments were applied on the same palm.
The applied amino acids: Super Viga MaxR (Commercial product produced by: Union for Agricultural Development Co. (UAD), Egypt). It contains 17.5 % amino acid mixture W\V
Active dry yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisisae) was dissolved in water before adding to the date palm. It was activated before application by using sugar solution at 5% in warm water (38°C) for 24 hours
Turmeric extracts: Acetone was used as the solvent, it was added to the turmeric powder and the mixture was heated with shaking. Then the mixture was filtered,.
Cinnamon extract: The stock solution of cinnamon extract was prepared by dissolving grounded bark of cinnamon plant and suspended it in water for 48h then filtered to obtain stock solution extract
All treatments were applied two times, two months after pollination at Kammry stage and two months later at Khalal Stage. The laboratory work of this study was conducted in Pomology Department Faculty of agriculture, Assiut University, Egypt.
Generally, the following measurements were determined during the two investigated seasons.
A-Yield parameters:
3- Fruit retention percentage
4- Bunch weight per palm
B-Fruit characteristics:
1-Fruit physical properties
- Fruit weight
- Flesh weight
- Fruit Length and Fruit diameter
- Fruit shape
- Fruit size
2- Fruit chemical properties: -
- Total soluble solids (TSS%)
- Titratable acidity (%)
- Total, reducing and non- reducing sugars:
Statistical analysis: The obtained data during the two seasons were collected, tabulated, and subjected to the proper statistical analysis of variance. The differences between treatment means were compared by using New LSD test at 5% level of the probability
The results are obtained during the course of manuscript will be demonstrated as follow:
1- Bunch weight and Fruit retention %
These results illustrated that the promotive effect of the different treatments in increasing bunch weight and fruit retention percentage during the two seasons of the study follows the order of dry yeast turmeric extract amino acids cinnamon extract. Results indicated that bunch weight was significantly improved by all applied treatments under the current investigation for the two seasons of the study compared to the control. Dry yeast application (5.0 and 10.0 g/L) induced the highest significant values for bunch weight during the 1st season and during the 2nd season, compared to the control, followed by turmeric extract (500 and 1000 ppm). Amino acids also revealed significant raise in bunch weight when amino acids at 500 and 1000 ppm. While cinnamon extract caused the lowest significant increase in bunch weight in both seasons of the study, in comparison to the control. On the other hand, fruit retention percentage increased by different treatments, however, the differences between the treatments and control were insignificant. Foliar spray with cinnamon extract at 500 ppm caused the maximum fruit retention in 2019 season, while dry yeast at 5.0 g/L produced the best fruit retention in 2020 season, compared to other treatments and control. In contrary, cinnamon extract at 1000 ppm induced the lowest fruit retention in the first season of the study and turmeric extract at 1000 ppm caused the least fruit retention in the second season of the study, compared with the untreated date palms.
2- Fruit weight, fruit volume and flesh percentage:
The data from all the field trials indicated that foliar supplementation of the different treatments (amino acids, dry yeast, turmeric extract, and cinnamon extract) significantly increased fruit weight, fruit volume and flesh percentage during seasons of the study. In comparison to the control, dry yeast at both concentrations (5.0 and 10.0 g/L) recorded the best significant values for the fruit weight, fruit volume, and flesh percentage, followed by turmeric extract (500 and 1000 ppm), and then amino acids (500 and 1000 ppm). While cinnamon extract exhibited the lowest records. In the first season, the highest fruit weight measurements, fruit volume, and flesh was achieved by the application of dry yeast at 10.0 g/L. Similarly, such a trend was noted in the second season, the topmost records of fruit weight and fruit volume was observed after the addition of dry yeast (10.0 g/L), while flesh% reached the maximum when the lower level of dry yeast (5.0 g/L) was added. In addition, turmeric extract and amino acids as well as dry yeast expressed positive influence in the studied traits. Turmeric extract at 1000 ppm achieved higher values than turmeric extract at 500 ppm, although this difference was insignificant. For the treatment of amino acids, no significant differences were found between the two studied concentrations (500 and 1000 ppm). Amino acids at 1000 ppm recorded slightly higher values than amino acids at 500 ppm for fruit weight, fruit volume in 2019 and 2020 seasons. However, only amino acids at 500 showed higher flesh % than amino acids at 1000 ppm in 2020 season. On the other hand, cinnamon extract revealed the lowest measurements in comparison to the other treatments and control.. Whilst cinnamon extract at the higher level (1000 ppm) registered the lowest flesh % during the first and second season of the study, compared to the other treatments and control.
3- Fruit length, fruit diameter and fruit shape index:
The different investigated treatments significantly influenced the fruit length and fruit diameter but insignificantly affected fruit shape index during the two seasons of the study, however the magnitude of the response depended on the specific treatment and dose. Dry yeast application (5.0 and 10.0 g/L) was the best treatment to enhance fruit length and fruit diameter.. Turmeric extract (500 ppm) ranked the second-best treatment for enhancing fruit length and fruit diameter. Amino acids followed by turmeric extract in showing significant effects on fruit length and diameter. Whereas cinnamon extract (500 ppm) achieved the lowest significant results for fruit length and fruit diameter during both seasons. Conversely, fruit shape index did not show significant changes between treatments and control. In this regard, amino acids treatments showed relatively best values, in comparison to the control. Amino acids at 500 ppm showed the same fruit shape index as the control during the first year and slight increase during the second year.
4- TSS and acidity percentage:
The results revealed that in both studied seasons, significant increase in TSS% and decrease in acidity% in treated palms with amino acids, dry yeast, turmeric extract and cinnamon extract, compared to the control. Turmeric extract and dry yeast were superior in stimulating the investigated parameters over the control, compared to other treatments in both seasons. In the first season, the most effective treatment was turmeric extract (1000 ppm). While, in the second season, dry yeast (5.0 g/L) achieved the greatest values for TSS, and turmeric extract (1000 ppm) achieved the lowest acidity value. No significant differences between dry yeast and turmeric extract treatments were found. In addition, amino acids supplementation (500 and 1000 ppm) reflected marked increase in TSS values and decrease in acidity values when compared to the control. The lower significant result of TSS% and acidity% were obtained when date palms were foliar sprayed with cinnamon extract at 500 ppm
5- Total sugars, reducing sugars and non-reducing sugars percentage:
The accumulation of total sugars, reducing sugars and non-reducing sugars significantly raised by all treatments in both seasons compared to control. However, no significant differences were found among different treatments. In comparison to the control, the most remarkable total sugars contents were resulted from the application of dry yeast at 10.0 g/L during both seasons. Moreover, the same treatment (dry yeast at 10 g/L) lead to the greatest non-reducing sugars contents in both seasons of the study. In parallel, turmeric extract followed by dry yeast as showing positive influences in total sugars content, reducing sugars and non-reducing sugars content, in comparison to the control. Amino acids also displayed significant trend in increasing sugars content as compared to the control. The lowest records for total sugar content were obtained after the exposure to cinnamon extract (500 ppm). However, the addition of cinnamon extract at 1000 ppm resulted in the lowest values of non-reducing sugar in both seasons.
Conclusion
Foliar application of active dry yeast at 5.0 or 10.0 g/L significantly induced the best results for improving the yield and fruit attributes in terms of bunch weight, fruit retention percentage, fruit weight, fruit volume, flesh percentage, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit shape index, total sugar percentage, reducing sugar percentage and non-reducing sugar percentage during the two seasons. Turmeric extract also was shown to be the best second treatment followed by amino acids and then cinnamon extract. Hence, it could be concluded that spraying with amino acids, yeast, turmeric extract, and cinnamon extract can be used effectively in enhancing yield and fruit value of Sewi date palm.
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