IMPACT OF POTASSIUM FERTILIZATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH SELENIUM ON ENHANCING YIELD, QUALITY AND STORABILITY OF ONION

Document Type : original papers

Authors

1 Onion Res. Dept., Field Crop Res. Inst. ARC, Egypt.

2 Soils, Water, and Environ. Res. Inst., ARC, Egypt.

10.21608/mjppf.2025.429076.1078

Abstract

This work was conducted during the two winter seasons of 2022/2023 - 2023/2024 on the Research Farm of the Agricultural Research Station, El-Gemmeiza Gharbeya Governorate, Egypt to study the effect of potassium fertilization at rates of 24, 48 and, 72 kg/fed in association with foliar application of selenium at 0, 25, 50 and  100 ppm and their interactions on plant growth,  productivity and bulb quality as well as the storability characteristics of onion plants (cv. Giza 20) grown under clay loam soil conditions.
The individual application of each of the potassium levels or selenium foliar application significantly increases the vegetative characteristics, yield, and quality parameters, such as N, P, and K contents, particularly at the highest concentration. However, higher results were obtained in response to the interaction between the two nutrients at the different concentrations. The best results were recorded with applying potassium at 48 kg /fed. in association with selenium at 50 ppm, irrespective of the studied traits.
The interaction effect between K2O and selenium (at 72 kg K2O/fed and 50 ppm Se, respectively) or (48 kg K2O/fed and 50 ppm Se, respectively) showed the best efficacy in bulb content of TSS at both harvesting and storage times. Not many significant results were observed between the two treatments in this regard, and a reduced weight loss percentage in bulbs at different storage periods.
In conclusion, using potassium fertilizer in conjunction with selenium is a promising and cost-effective approach for enhancing the growth and yield of onions, both quantitatively and qualitatively

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