Evaluating Foliar Application of Calcium Nitrate, Calcium Chloride and Boric Acid on Physiological Disorders of ‘Kaleh - Ghoochi’ Pistachio

Abstract

Pistachio suffers from some physiological disorders such as fruit abscission, endocarp lesion, blankness, non-split, early-split and deformed nuts. In this experiment, the effects of calcium nitrate (2 gr/lit), calcium chloride (2 gr/lit), boric acid (200 ppm) and their combination treatments were investigated on physiological disorders of ‘Kaleh-Ghoochi’ pistachio. Foliar application was applied one week earlier and two weeks later than full bloom. Then, physiological disorders and enzyme activities, such as catalase (CAT), poly phenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonilyase (PAL) and total phenol level of nut-shells and proline level of leaves were tested. Results specified that all applied treatments diminished fruit abscission. Also, all treatments, excepting boric acid, diminished endocarp lesion and non-split nut disorders but there were no considerable differences between the treatments. Results specified that all applied treatments decreased the blank nut but there were no considerable differences between the treatments. In this research, the lowest deformed nuts with 10.38 percent and early split nut with 2.48 percent were observed by application of both calcium nitrate and boric acid. Meanwhile, the highest split nuts with 56.55 percent were obtained by application of calcium nitrate and boric acid. Generally, all treatments especially use of both calcium nitrate and boric acid diminish the catalase, poly phenol oxidase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonilyase enzymes activities and moreover total phenol of nut-shells and proline of leaves.

Keywords

• blankness
• deformed nuts
• early-split
• enzyme activity
• non-split
• pistachio