Effect of irrigation water quantity and treating with diatomite on productivity, water use efficiency and anatomical characters of strawberry plants grown in sandy soil [electronic resource].

Includes references.

This ~xperiment was carried out during the two successive winter seasons of 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 in a private farm at El-Kassasein District, Ismailia Govemorate, Egypt, to study the effect of irrigation water quantity (1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500 m3/fad.) and diatomite algae ( 0 and 4 kg/fad.) as soil application on growth, leaf water statues, yield and its quality, water use efficiency and anatomical leaflet characters of strawberry Festival cultivar grown in sandy soil using drip irrigation system. Shoot dry weight/ plant, total chlorophyll (a+b) in leaves and total yieJ.dlfad., were significantly increased with the interaction between irrigation water quantity at 2000· m3 /fad., and treating with diatomite. Meanwhile, total, free water in leaf(%), N, P and K uptake by shoots and early yield/fad., were increased with the interaction between 2500 m3 /fad., and diatomite. Whereas, bound water (%) and pro line amino acid content in leaves were increased with the lowest rate of irrigation water (1000 m3/fad., without diatomite). Water use efficiency, osmotic pressure in leaves, total sugars (%), total soluble solids, firmness and anthocyanin contents in fruits were increased with the interaction between water supply at 1000 m3/fad., and treating plants with diatomite in both seasons. The anatomical parameters of leaflet blade were reduced under water deficit conditions (1000 m3/fad.). Diatomite treatment alleviated the deteriorative effect of water stress on almost all measured parameters (midvein thickness and width, midvein vascular bundle thickness and width, phloem and xylem tissue thickness, diameter of xylem vessel, blade thickness, upper and lower epidermis thickness, palisade and spongy tissue thickness). The interaction treatment between water quantity at 2000 m3 /fad., and diatomite recorded values nearly the interaction between 2500 m3 /fad., with or without diatomite for the most anatomical parameters of leaflet blade. On the other hand, the lowest values of all anatomical traits of leaflet blade were obtained with the plants grown under water stress (1000 m3/fad.) and untreated_ with diatomite.

Summary in Arabic.

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