Influence of Effective Micro-Organisms (EM) and Ascorbic Acid on Growth, Yield, Fruit Quality and Storability of Flame Seedless Grape Cultivar

Author : Mosaad A. El-Kenawy, Shimaa M.M. El-Mogy and Ola M. Fekry

This experiment was conducted on six-year-old Flame Seedless grapevines investigation two consecutive growing seasons (2021 and 2022) at the El-Baramon farm in Mansoura, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt to study the influence of effective micro-organisms (EM) and ascorbic acid on vegetative growth, yield and fruit quality as well as storability of Flame Seedless grape cultivar. The selected vines were six-year-old, irrigated using a flood irrigation method and cultivated in clay soil. The grapevines were planted at 2 x 3 m intervals, spur-pruned during the 2nd week of January, loaded with 68 buds per vine, and trellised using the Spanish baron system. Eight treatments were conducted as follow:  soil inoculation with effective micro-organisms (EM) at 20cm3/vine and foliar spray with three doses of ascorbic acid (200, 400 and 600 ppm) were applied either solely or in combination with each other, in addition to the control treatment (untreated vines). All applied treatments were conducted at three times: the 1st date (after bud burst phase), the 2nd date (at berry set phase), and the 3rd date (at veraison phase). Clusters of all treatments were stored for 4 weeks at ± 0oC and 90-95% RH and fruit quality was assessed via harvest and cold storage.

      The study demonstrated that the combined application of effective micro-organisms (EM) at 20cm3/vine plus ascorbic acid at 600 ppm had the superior outcomes in terms of obtaining the best aspects of vegetative growth and the highest nutritional content of the vine, raising fruit production and enhancing fruit quality characteristics as well as enhancing the storability of Flame Seedless grape by decreasing physiological loss in weight, decay and shattering, maintaining firmness and delaying the changes in total soluble solids, acidity and total sugars compared to control during extended cold storage in both seasons.

Keywords : Grape, Flame Seedless, yield, fruit quality, vegetative growth, EM, ascorbic acid and storability,

Received:2/10/2023 12:00:00 AM; Accepted: 3/15/2023 12:00:00 AM