Impact of foliar application with some bio and chemical stimulants on growth, yield and some endogenous hormones of cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L.) [electronic resource].

Includes reference

There is a recent tendency to use biostimulants in horticultural crops as natural and safe substances. Two field experiments were carried out in a private farm, Kafr El Shiekh Governorate, Egypt during the two successive winter seasons of 2006/07 and 2007/08. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of foliar application of some stimulatnts such as humic acid, amino acids, ascorbic acid, salicylic acid and dry yeast as well as hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), which generally regarded as safe compounds, on the growth, yield and fruit quality as well as hormones and N, P, and K contents in cucumber leaves. Spraying with H₂O₂, dry yeast and amino acids significantly increased vegetative growth characters. Chlorophyll content was improved by stimulants applications. All foliar application treatments produced higher early and total yields than control, the best results were obtained from humic acid, dry yeast, and H₂O₂. Moreover, ascorbic acid content was increased with spraying both of ascorbic acid and H₂O₂. Endogenous hormones contents were increased by H₂O₂ (GA₃, IAA and Kinetin), humic acids (IAA and GA₃) and dry yeast (Kinetin). Also, applying most of stimulants statistically increased the contents of N % (yeast and amino acids), P % (yeast and H₂O₂) and K % (H₂O₂ and amino acids).Therefore, the use of H₂O₂, dry yeast and humic acid as foliar application on cucumber plants have a good potential strategy to improve the growth, yield and fruit quality.

1