Reducing Adverse Effects of Salinity in Peach Trees Grown in Saline Clay Soil

A field experiment was carried out during 2016 and 2017 seasons on heavy clay soil, somewhat affected by salinity located at Sidi Salem District , Kafr EL-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of some treatments including; Uni-sal (U), Humic acid (H), Magnetic iron (Fe) and Mycorrhizae (M) on Florda Prince peach trees growth, productivity and fruit quality. The data indicated that the application of these treatments increased vegetative growth parameters, leaf chlorophyll content, leaf-macro and micronutrients content, fruit set percentage, yield/tree, total soluble solids (TSS), and fruit firmness, while decreased leaf-Na and proline content, pre-harvest fruit drop percentage and fruit acidity as compared to that of the control. Uni-sal treatment achieved the highest values of vegetative growth parameters, leaf-N, K, Ca, Mn and Zn contents, fruit set percentage, fruit weight, yield and fruit firmness and recorded the least pre-harvest fruit drop percentage and fruit acidity compared to that of the other treatments followed by humic treatment in this respect. Magnetic iron was most pronounced on rising leaf-chlorophyll content and reducing leaf-Na and proline more than H, U and M treatments. Micrrhyzae was superior to leaf-P and Mg contents. The combined application of treatments were more effective as compared to the individual applications. Unisal and micrrhyzae (U+M) treatments gave significant increase over all treatments in vegetative growth parameters, leaf-N, P, K, Mg and Ca contents, fruit set percentage, fruit weight and yield and least pre-harvest fruit drop percentage and fruit acidity as compared to those of the other treatments, followed by (H+U) treatment. Uni-sal and magnetic iron was superior to other treatments in increasing leaf-chlorophyll content and total soluble solids (TSS) and decreasing leaf-Na and proline content more the other treatments.