Effect of Irrigation Water pH on Some Soil Properties and Growth of Some Pear Rootstocks Grown on Sand and Calcareous Soils
Wafai El-Hosseni Ahmed *
Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Egypt.
Hanaa M. Sherif
Horticulture Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
To study effect of irrigation water pH and soil type on growth of some pear rootstocks and some soil properties, two rootstocks (Pyrus communis and Pyrus betulaefolia) were grown on two soils (sand and calcareous) during successive seasons of 2010 and 2011. pH values of irrigation water were 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5 and pH 8.0. The experiment was performed in Horticultural Research Institute farm, Giza, Egypt. The tested soil properties were chemical analysis of soil water past extract, pH, soil texture and available nutrients (P, K, Fe, Zn and Mn). The following growth parameters were recorded plant height leaves number/plant, new current shoots number, vegetative growth dry weight, roots number, roots length, roots diameter. Obtained data showed significant effects for pH irrigation water and soil type on some of studied plant growth parameters and some of tested soil measurements. Data showed the importance nature of pH source in irrigation water i.e. chemical analysis of irrigation water. Pyrus betulaefolia was more tolerant to pH value variations in irrigation water than Pyrus communis.
Keywords: Irrigation water pH, soil type, pear rootstocks, soil properties and growth parameters