Pre-harvest Foliar Spray of Calcium, GA3, and Salicylic Acid to Enhance Apricot Yield and Fruit Quality

Authors

  • Adel M. Al-Saif Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6965-4545
  • Hosny F. Abdel-Aziz Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
  • Abd El-wahed N. Abd El-wahed Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
  • Sobhy M. Khalifa Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt.
  • Ibrahim A. Elnaggar Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4843-0379
  • Sania S. El-Shershaby Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture (for Girls), Al-Azhar University, 11884 Cairo, Egypt
  • Mohammed H. Farouk Key Laboratory of Product Quality and Security, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, PR China
  • Samah A. Abulmeaty Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture (for Girls), Al-Azhar University, 11884 Cairo, Egypt
  • Eman M. Hammad Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture (for Girls), Al-Azhar University, 11884 Cairo, Egypt
  • Ashraf E. Hamdy Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1984-2585

Keywords:

Prunus armeniaca L., Growth regulators, Yield, Vitamin C

Abstract

The impact of different pre-harvest foliar sprays was assessed relative to the yield and quality of apricot fruits (cv. El-Amal) under field conditions. Apricot trees were sprayed with various solutions, including salicylic acid (SA at 250 and 750 ppm), calcium acetate [Ca(OAc)₂ at 2% and 4%], calcium chloride (CaCl₂ at 2% and 4%), and gibberellic acid (GA₃ at 25 and 100 ppm) at the pit hardening growth stage before harvest. All foliar spray treatments positively affected fruit yield per tree compared to untreated plants. The most effective treatments were CaCl₂ at 4% and GA₃ at 100 ppm, followed by SA at 750 ppm and Ca(OAc)₂ at 4%. All treatments significantly increased fruit weight compared to the control group. GA₃ also significantly improved fruit firmness, outperforming all other treatments. Additionally, CaCl₂ at 2% and SA at 250 ppm resulted in higher firmness. SA at 750 ppm exhibited higher total soluble solid (TSS) content. While the foliar spray treatment without any solution resulted in the lowest fruit acidity, SA at 250 ppm had the highest acidity. In conclusion, pre-harvest foliar application of GA₃ (100 ppm), CaCl₂ (2%), and Ca(OAc)₂ (4%) can effectively enhance fruit yield and improve quality of apricots.

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Published

2025-10-21

How to Cite

Al-Saif, A. M., Abdel-Aziz, H. F., Abd El-wahed , A. E.- wahed N., Khalifa, S. M., Elnaggar, I. A., El-Shershaby, S. S., … Hamdy, A. E. (2025). Pre-harvest Foliar Spray of Calcium, GA3, and Salicylic Acid to Enhance Apricot Yield and Fruit Quality. BioResources, 20(4), 10504–10520. Retrieved from https://ojs.bioresources.com/index.php/BRJ/article/view/25018

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 4 (2025)

Section

Research Article or Brief Communication