Effects of phosphorus and water stress levels on growth and phosphorus uptake of bean and sorghum cultivars

Primary determinants of crop production in arid/semiarid regions are lack of moisture and infertility, especially phosphorus (P) deficiency or unavailability. The effects of P and water stress (WS) levels on shoot and root dry matter (DM), leaf area, root volume, total root length, and shoot and root P concentrations and contents were determined in two bean [Phaseolus acutifolius Gray, cv ‘Tepary #21’ ("drought‐resistant") and P. vulgaris L., cv “Emerson’ ("drought‐sensitive")] and two sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, cv SA7078 ("drought‐resistant") and ‘Redlan’ ("drought‐sensitive")] cultivars grown in nutrient solution. Plants were grown with different levels of P (20 and 100 μM for bean and 20, 80, and 160 μM for sorghum) when seedlings were transferred to nutrient solution, and WS levels of 0, 13.8, and 1 6.4% polyethylene glycol (PEG‐8000) introduced after plants had grown in solution 23 days (bean) and 31 days (sorghum). All growth traits were lower when bean and sorghum plants were grown with WS and low P. Growth traits were higher in cultivars grown with high compared to low P regardless of WS. Root P concentration and content and shoot content, but not shoot P concentration, were lower when bean plants were grown with WS compared to without WS. Tepary #21 bean had higher shoot DM, leaf area, total root length, and shoot P concentration than Emerson when plants were grown with WS at each level of P. Sorghum shoot and root P concentrations were higher as P level increased regardless of WS, and WS had little effect on shoot P concentration, but root P concentration was higher. Contents of P were similar for SA7078 and Redlan regardless of P or WS treatment, but SA7078 had greater P contents than Redlan over all P and WS treatments. “Drought‐resistant”; cultivars generally had better growth traits, especially total and specific root lengths, than “drought‐sensitive”; cultivars.     

Evaluation of the potential impact of Cu competition on the performance of o,o‐FeEDDHA in soil applications

Ferric ethylene diamine‐N,N′‐bis(hydroxy phenyl acetic acid) (FeEDDHA)‐based iron (Fe) fertilizers are commonly applied to plants grown on calcareous soils and comprise a mixture of FeEDDHA components. Upon application to the soil, the pore water concentrations of the active ingredients racemic and meso o,o‐FeEDDHA show a gradual decline unrelated to plant uptake or biodegradation. In the present study, the potential of soil copper (Cu) to reduce the effectiveness of FeEDDHA‐based fertilizers in calcareous soils by displacing Fe from o,o‐FeEDDHA has been evaluated through modelling and experiments. Predictions with mechanistic multi‐surface models show that there is a thermodynamic basis for assuming that under equilibrium conditions a certain fraction of o,o‐EDDHA ligands in soil solution can be chelated to Cu, in particular for meso o,o‐EDDHA. The large affinity of o,o‐CuEDDHA for binding to the soil solid phase, demonstrated in a batch interaction experiment, greatly increases the potential impact of Cu competition on the o,o‐FeEDDHA solution concentration; for a given quantity of o,o‐CuEDDHA in soil solution, a much larger quantity of o,o‐CuEDDHA is adsorbed to the solid phase. Finally, evidence for the actual displacement of Fe from o,o‐FeEDDHA by Cu was found in a soil incubation study. With these results, the boundary conditions are met for explaining the observed gradual decline in o,o‐FeEDDHA concentration with Cu competition.     

Improvement of drought tolerance in Tobacco (Nicotiana rustica L.) plants by Silicon

Ameliorative effect of silicon (Si) (2 mM as sodium silicate (Na₂SiO₃)) was studied in tobacco (Nicotiana rustica L.) plants grown under control at 100% field capacity (FC), mild drought (60% FC), and severe drought (30% FC) conditions. Si-treated plants had higher biomass of particularly above-ground parts both under drought and control conditions. Plants with Si supply had significantly higher net assimilation rates but lower transpiration rates. Silicon supply enhanced osmotic potentials only in the leaves, but not in the roots. A considerable rise in the concentrations of soluble sugars was observed particularly in the leaves under both drought and Si treatments. Soluble proteins, free α-amino acids, and proline concentrations increased in Si-treated plants under all watering treatments. Si enhanced the activity of antioxidative enzymes and decreased hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) concentrations. Results indicate that Si supplementation alleviates drought stress via improvement of water relation parameters, enhancement of photosynthesis, and elevation of antioxidant defenses.     

Evidence for the existence of different uptake mechanisms in soybean and sorghum for iron and manganese

A greenhouse experiment was conducted in which four varieties of soybean (Glycine max L.) and three varieties of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) were grown in a calcareous soil with and without soil applied FeEDDHA (0 and 2 mg Fe/kg soil). Soil applications of FeEDDHA increased Fe concentrations and reduced Mn concentrations in all varieties of soybean and eliminated Mn toxicity symptoms in Corsoy soybeans. Soil applications of FeEDDHA did not increase Fe uptake or affect Mn uptake into sorghum leaves. This study tends to support the hypothesis that there are distinct plant mechanisms between dicots and graminaceous species for the uptake of Fe, and that these mechanisms have a direct effect on Mn availability for plant uptake.     

Comparative effect of drought duration on growth,photosynthesis, water relations,and solute accumulation in wild and cultivated barley species

Drought is a major factor limiting crop production worldwide. Barley is a well‐adapted cereal that is largely grown on dry marginal land where water and salinity are the most prevalent environmental stresses. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of drought stress and subsequent recovery on growth, photosynthetic activity, water relations, osmotic adjustment (OA), and solute accumulation of wild (Hordeum maritimum) and cultivated barley (H. vulgare L.). In a pot experiment, 60 d old seedlings were subjected to drought stress for 0, 7, 14, 21, or 28 d, and then re‐watered to recover for up to 21 d. Plants were harvested at the end of each of these drought/recovery treatments. Drought significantly reduced fresh and dry weights at the whole‐plant level, photosynthetic activities, and solute and water potentials, while increasing leaf Na⁺ and K⁺ concentrations. The adverse effects of drought on growth were more marked in cultivated barley than in wild barley and the reverse was true for photosynthetic activities. During recovery, all wild barley seedlings completely recovered. For cultivated barley seedlings, rehydration had a beneficial effect on growth and photosynthesis, independent of treatment duration, but complete recovery did not occur. The reduction in leaf solute potential at full turgor in drought‐stressed barley, relative to the control, suggests active OA which was more significant in wild barley than in cultivated barley. OA was mainly due to the accumulation of inorganic (K⁺ in cultivated barley and Na⁺ in wild barley) and organic (soluble sugars and proline) solutes. The results suggest that OA is an important component of the drought‐stress adaptation mechanism in wild barley, but is not sufficient to contribute to drought tolerance in cultivated barley. In the latter species, the results show that even short periods (as little as 7 d) of water deficit stress had considerable long‐term effects on plant growth.     

Water stress and mycorrhizal isolate effects on growth and nutrient acquisition of wheat

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonized plants often have greater tolerance to drought than nonmycorrhizal (nonAM) plants. Wheat (Triticum durum Desf.), whose roots were colonized with Glomus mosseae (Gms) and G. monosporum (Gmn), were grown in a greenhouse to determine effects of water stress (WS) on shoot and root dry matter (DM), root length (RL), and shoot phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe) concentrations and contents. Mycorrhizal colonization was higher in well‐watered (nonWS) plants colonized with both AM isolates than WS plants, and Gms had greater colonization than Gmn under both soil moisture conditions. Shoot and root DM were higher in AM than in nonAM plants irrespective of soil moisture, and Gms plants had higher shoot but not root DM than Gmn plants grown under either soil moisture condition. Total RL of AM plants was greater than nonAM plants, but was consistently lower for plants grown with WS than with nonWS. The AM plants had similar shoot P and Mn concentrations as nonAM plants, but contents were higher in AM than in nonAM plants. The AM plants had higher shoot Zn, Cu, and Fe concentrations and contents than nonAM plants. The Gms plants grown under nonWS generally had higher nutrient contents than Gmn plants, but nutrient contents were similar for both Gms and Gmn plants grown under WS. The results demonstrated a positive relationship between enhanced growth and AM root colonization for plants grown under nonWS and WS.     

Cell osmolarity adjustment in Lycopersicon in response to stress pretreatments 1

Plant cell adjustments in water and osmotic status in response to heat, cold, and osmotic stress were investigated using microcultured plants from four assessions of Lycopersicon. Changes in plant water potentials were determined with an osmometer solution method, and osmolarity by a cell sap extraction method. Heat stress decreased water potential (raised osmolarity) and cold stress increased water potential (depressed osmolarity) for all species, but the magnitude of the adjustment was significantly greater for L. peruvianum (a drought resistant genotype). Microcultures produced on growth medium with elevated levels of osmotic agents (sorbitol, dextran, or glucose) developed correspondingly higher cell sap osmolarity. Plant water potential shifted in the same direction, but not to the same degree, as osmotic potential in response to stress. Since osmotic adjustment is a reported mechanism of stress (salt, temperature, and water deficit) tolerance, these tests suggest a method for prescreening of germplasm at the microculture plant level.     

Impact of soil texture on temporal and spatial development of osmotic‐potential gradients between bulk soil and rhizosphere

Solute transport from the bulk soil to the root surface is, apart from changes in soil moisture and plant nutrient uptake, a prerequisite for changes in soil osmotic potential (Ψ_o). According to the convection‐diffusion equation, solute transport depends on a number of parameters (soil moisture–release curve, hydraulic conductivity, tortuosity factor) which are functions of soil texture. It was thus hypothesized that soil texture should have an effect on the formation of Ψ_o gradients between bulk soil and the root surface. The knowledge about such gradients is important to evaluate water availability in the soil‐plant‐atmosphere continuum (SPAC). A linear compartment system with maize grown under controlled conditions in two texture treatments (T1, pure sand; T2, 80% sand, 20% silt) under low and high initial application of salts (S1, S2) was used to measure the development of Ψ_o gradients between bulk soil and the root surface by microscale soil‐solution sampling and TDR sensors. The differences in soil texture had a strong impact on the formation of Ψ_o gradients between bulk soil and the root surface at high and low initial salt application rate. At high initial salt application, a maximum osmotic‐potential gradient (ΔΨ_o) of –340 kPa was observed for the texture treatment T2 compared to ΔΨ_o of –180 in T1. The steeper gradients in osmotic potential in treatment T2 compared to T1 corresponded to higher cumulative water consumption in this treatment which can partly be explained by higher soil hydraulic conductivity in the range of soil matric potentials covered during the duration of the experiments. Differences between texture treatments in Ψ_o at the root surface did not result in differences in plant‐water relations measured as gas‐exchange parameters (transpiration rate, water‐use efficiency) and leaf osmotic potential. If soil osmotic and matric potential are regarded as additive in calculating the driving force for water movement from the soil into the root, the observed differences in water flux between treatments cannot be explained.     

Barley response to salt stress at varied levels of phosphorus

Increasing plant phosphorus (P) supply can increase or decrease salt tolerance of many plants. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L., cv. ACSAD 176) was grown in nutrient solution under controlled conditions to determine effects of P level on detrimental effects of sodium chloride (NaCl). Increasing level of P improved tolerance of barley to NaCl. At 3, 30, and 60 μM P, the NaCl concentrations to reduce shoot dry matter (DM) by 50% were 158, 193, and 260 mM, respectively. Increased NaCl levels reduced shoot P concentrations. Plants grown with NaCl had higher Internal P requirements. When NaCl in solution was 10, 150, and 300 mM, the corresponding concentrations of P in shoots required to obtain 50% DM were 1.6, 4.2, and 4.7 mg‐g^‐1 dry weight, respectively. Increasing solution P level from 3 to 60 μM P decreased sodium (Na) and increased potassium (K) concentrations in shoots. Accumulation of mineral ions for osmotic adjustment and restriction of Na accumulation in shoots was involved in P enhancement of salt tolerance of barley.     

Performance of soil-applied FeEDDHA isomers in delivering Fe to soybean plants in relation to the moment of application

FeEDDHA (iron(3+) ethylenediamine-N,N'-bis(hydroxyphenylacetic acid) products are commonly applied to mend and prevent Fe deficiency chlorosis in soil-grown crops. Plants mainly take up Fe in the progressed vegetative and in the reproductive stages. This study examined which of the principal constituents of FeEDDHA products (the isomers racemic o,o-FeEDDHA, meso o,o-FeEDDHA, and o,p-FeEDDHA), most effectively meets the Fe requirements of soybean plants (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) grown on calcareous soil in the aforementioned growth stages. FeEDDHA isomers were applied once, separately or in mixtures, at t = 0, in the progressed vegetative stage or in the reproductive stage. o,p-FeEDDHA did not significantly contribute to Fe uptake in either growth stage. Both racemic and meso o,o-FeEDDHA were effective in supplying plants with Fe, approximately to the same extent. The moment of application had a significant effect on yield and FeEDDHA pore water concentrations at harvest, but not on Fe uptake. To optimize yield while minimizing FeEDDHA dosage, FeEDDHA is best applied to soybean plants prior to the onset of chorosis.     

An evaluation of methods for measuring cell osmolarity with invitroand invivogrownLycopersiconplants

Abstract

Three standard techniques (thermocouple psychrometry, cell sap extraction, and plasmolysis) and two novel methods (osmometer solution, and image analysis) were comparatively evaluated for estimation of leaf cell water and osmotic potentials in vitro and in vivo. The test plants, tomato (Lycopersicon) assessionsL. esculentum ‘Chico III’,L. pennellii, L. peruvianum, and L. cheesmanii, were grown as whole plants under microculture and growth chamber cultural environments. Each of the methods for measuring total water potential (thermocouple psychrometry, osmometer solution, and image analysis) and osmotic potential (thermocouple psychrometry, cell sap extraction) yielded consistent results when applied to microculture test plants (from a highly controlled, uniform environment), but results from growth chamber grown plants were too variable (between methods) to be conclusive. Plasmolysis gave unrealistically high estimates of osmolarity in all cases. Tissue water potential and osmolarity estimates were higher for plants grown in microculture than their growth chamber counterparts. The osmometer solution and image analysis methods were practical methods for total water potential estimation, required only a fraction of the time needed for psychrometry, and could be used reliably for microcultured tissues     

Water status and stomatal behaviour of cowpea,Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp,plants inoculated with two Glomus species at low soil moisture levels

The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on water status and stomatal behaviour of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. cv. B89-504, under water-stressed conditions in the greenhouse were studied. The 3 × 2 experimental design included two levels of mycorrhizal colonisation (Glomus mosseae, Glomus versiforme) and non-mycorrhizal control treatment and two soil moisture levels (well-watered pots and pots allowed to dry). Relative water content and leaf water potential values were higher in well-watered mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants than in water-stressed mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants. AM species had no significant effect on leaf osmotic potential, stomatal conductance and leaf transpiration in both well watered and water-stressed plants. The values of stomatal conductance and leaf transpiration were high during the vegetative stage and low during the flowering stage. These responses which can be related to the age of the plant suggest that mycorrhizal colonisation did not affect stomatal closure of cowpea plants during water stress. The decrease in plant growth and dry matter production in both mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants shows that drought resistance in cowpea was unaffected by mycorrhiza in the vegetative phase.     

干旱季节不同耕作制度下红壤-作物-大气连续体水流阻力变化规律

确定水流阻力不仅有助于定量土壤栕魑飽大气连续体（SPAC）描述的水分传输过程，而且对建立减少水流阻力的节水农业措施，解决红壤区季节性干旱有重要意义。本文研究了不同耕作制度下作物气孔阻力日变化及其与蒸腾速率、土壤基质势、作物叶水势的关系，并分析了水流阻力的分布及其日变化规律。结果表明气孔阻力和蒸腾速率受作物种类和耕作制度影响，气孔阻力随着70cm土层以上土壤基质势的变化而变化；SPAC中叶气系统水流阻力为109～1010S，是作物体水流阻力的1000倍，而后者又是70cm以上土层土壤水流阻力的100倍；作物体水流阻力大小顺序为：大豆＞花生＞玉米＞甘薯，除甘薯外，其它作物体水流阻力有明显的日变化；此外，耕作制度也影响作物体水流阻力。     

Drought stress tolerance and photoprotection in two varieties of olive tree

Abstract

The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is adapted to tolerate severe drought and high irradiance levels. Relative electron transport rate (J), photosynthetic efficiency (in terms of F _v /F _m and Φ_PSII), photochemical (qP) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) were determined in 2-year old olive plants (cultivars ‘Coratina’ and ‘Biancolilla’) grown under two different light levels (exposed plants, EP, and shaded plants, SP) during a 21-day controlled water deficit. After reaching pre-dawn leaf water potentials of about -6.5 MPa, plants were rewatered for 23 days. During the experimental period, measurements of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence were carried out to study the photosynthetic performance of olive plants. The effect of drought stress and high irradiance levels caused a reduction of gas exchange, J, Φ_PSII and F _v/F _m and this decrease was more marked in EP. Under drought stress, EP showed a higher degree of photoinhibition, a higher NPQ and a lower qP if compared to SP. Coratina was more sensitive to high light and drought stress and had a slower recovery during rewatering. The results confirm that photoprotection is an important factor that affects photosynthetic productivity in olive, and that the degree of this process varies between the cultivars. This information could give a more complete picture of the response of olive trees grown under stressful conditions of semi-arid environments, and could be important for the selection of drought-tolerant cultivars with a high productivity.     

RESPONSE OF CHICKPEA TO NITROGEN SOURCES UNDER SALINITY STRESS

Abstract

In vitro‐grown Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. cultivars Bright Golden Anne, Deep Luv, and Lucido were exposed to elevated mannitol, sucrose, or sorbitol concentrations to see if their response to this osmotic stress mimics that of in vivo plants enduring water deficit. The relative efficacy of the three osmotic agents at manifesting a response was also evaluated. Tissue osmolarity paralleled media mannitol and sorbitol concentration for all three cultivars. Shoot growth correspondingly decreased with increased osmolarity applied during the rooting phase. These responses generally resembled those of water‐stressed greenhouse plants. The degree of response varied with cultivar; ‘Lucido’ was the most sensitive and ‘Bright Golden Anne’ the least. Sucrose (metabolized by the plants) failed to elicit consistent osmotic stress symptoms; instead it enhanced both shoot and root growth. In vitro stress‐induced symptoms were produced in both proliferation and rooting stages, but consistent shoot growth reduction with increasing levels of incorporated osmotic agent was only observed during rooting. Plants did not retain the osmotic adjustment when they were subsequently subcultured from the stress treatments back to the control medium.     

Boron-induced improvement in physiological,biochemical and growth attributes in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) exposed to terminal drought stress

Terminal drought stress (drought at reproductive growth stage) has been considered a severe environmental threat under changing climatic scenarios and undoubtedly inhibits sunflower production. A field study was conducted to explore the potential role of foliar applied boron (B) (0, 15, 30, 45 mg L^?1) at late growth periods of sunflower in alleviating the adversities of terminal drought stress (75, 64, 53 mm DI) grown from inflorescence emergence to maturity stages. The plant water relations such as leaf relative water content (RWC), water potential (Ψ_w), osmotic potential (Ψ_s), and turgor pressure (Ψ_p) were increased significantly with B foliar sprays while exposed to terminal drought stress. Foliar B application considerably improved the nitrogen and B concentrations in leaf and seed tissues, and also chlorophyll a and b pigments under terminal drought stress conditions. Drought-induced proline accumulation prevented the damages caused by drought stress, nevertheless, B foliar spray increased its contents. Compared to well-watered conditions, terminal drought stress substantially declined the growth performance in terms of reduced leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR), net assimilation rate (NAR), and total dry matter (TDM) production; however, foliar B supply (30 mg L^?1) might be helpful for improving drought tolerance in sunflower with reduced growth losses.     

Ammonium (15N) metabolism in cotton under salt stress

Plant growth and metabolism is impaired under stress conditions, resulting in decreased crop yields. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the NaCl stress effects on NH⁺ ₄ metabolism in cotton plants at vegetative and reproductive stages of growth.

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plants grown in normal (control) and NaCl treated Hoagland solutions were analyzed for distribution of N¹⁵ in NH⁺ ₄ plus amide‐N, free α‐amino‐N, total soluble‐N and protein‐N after the plants were provided ¹⁵NH₄NO₃ in nutrient solutions for 6, 12 and 24 h. The concentration of protein‐¹⁵N was enhanced under a low level of NaCl (‐0.4 MPa osmotic potential) at the vegetative growth stage. The difference between the protein‐¹⁵N concentration of the moderately salinized (‐0.8 MPa) plants and the controls was not significant. A high level of NaCl (‐1.2 MPa) significantly decreased protein‐N content of plants compared with the controls and any other level of salinity. The NaCl increased accumulation of NH₄ ⁺ plus amide‐N, free (α‐amino‐N, and total soluble‐N in cotton shoots, at both stages of growth. Low osmotic potential (high osmotic pressure) of the nutrient solution induced by excessive amounts of NaCl in nutrient solution inhibited NH⁺ ₄ metabolism and decreased protein synthesis, thus resulting in accumulation of soluble N‐compounds. The ionic effect probably contributed also to inhibition of protein synthesis.     

Phytotoxicity and some interactions of the essential trace metals iron,manganese, molybdenum,zinc, copper,and boron

Abstract

The essential trace elements Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and B in high concentrations can produce phytotoxicities. Iron toxicity resulted from 5 × 10^‐4 M and 10^‐3 M FeSO₄, but not from equivalent amounts of FeEDDHA (ferric ethylenediamine di (o‐hydroxyphenylacetic acid) ). Leaf concentrations in bush beans of 465 μg Mn/g, 291 μg B/g, and 321 μg Zn/g all on the dry weight basis resulted in 27%, 45%, and 34% reduction in yields of leaves, respectively. Zinc was concentrated in roots while Mn and B concentrated in leaves. Solution concentrations of MnS0₄ of 10^‐3 and 10^‐2 M depressed leaf yields of bush beans by 63% and 83%, respectively, with 5140 and 10780 μg Mn/g dry weight of leaves. Copper concentrations were simultaneously increased and those of Ca were decreased. Bush bean plants grown in Yolo loam soil with 200 μg Cu/g soil had a depression in leaf yield of 26% (with 28. 8 μg Cu/g leaf); plants failed to grow with 500 μg Cu/g soil. A level of 10^‐3 M H₂MoO₄ was toxic to bush beans grown in solution culture. Leaves, stems, and roots, respectively, contained 710, and 1054, and 5920 μg Mo/g dry weight.     

Effects of Hydrophilic Polymer on the Survival of Buttonwood Seedlings Grown Under Drought Stress

The effect of 0.0 (control), 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6% of the hydrophilic polymer “Stockosorb K-400” hydrogel (HG) on survival and growth of buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus L.) seedlings grown in sandy soil under drought stress was investigated. The ability of the soil to retain water increased with increasing hydrogel concentrations. The highest level of the HG was capable of changing the typical sandy soil to a loam or even silty clay in terms of water potential and water content. The highest HG concentration prolonged the time of water loss from the soil by about 66% more than the control soil. During drought stress, the seedlings grown in 0.6% HG-mixed soil survived three times as long as those grown in the control soil. Shoot and root growth increased significantly in HG-amended soil as compared with non-amended soil. Plant water potential increased significantly with HG application, thus it aided in the establishment and growth of C. erectus seedlings under water stress conditions. There were no significant differences between 0.4% and 0.6%. The study indicated that an amendment of soil with 0.4% to 0.6% of the hydrophilic polymer “Stockosorb K-400” can be used in arid and semi-arid areas to enhance the drought tolerance of C. erectus seedlings.     

Yield of iron‐sprayed and non‐sprayed strawberry cultivars grown on high ph calcareous soil

Abstract

Iron (Fe) deficiency chlorosis (FeDC) results in extensive reduction in yield of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) grown on high pH calcareous soils. Three cultivars differing in response to FeDC were grown on a high pH (8.2) calcareous soil (25.4% calcium carbonate equivalent in surface 20 cm) in the field (Choueifat, coastal area of Lebanon) to determine the effects of FeDC on fruit yield of cultivars sprayed with FeEDDHA [ferric ethylene‐diiminobis (2‐hydroxyphenyl) acetate]. The unsprayed plots were used as a control. No significant interaction (P<0.05) between cultivars x FeEDDHA spray treatment, and no significant differences (P<0.05) between one and two FeEDDHA spray(s)/week treatment was noted for visual FeDC, fruit number, and fruit yield. Sprayed cultivars once a week produced higher yields than unsprayed ones; overall increases were 33% (13% for ‘Motto’, 30% for ‘Chandler’, and 56% for ‘Douglas'). Even though only slight FeDC was noted on the ‘Motto’ cultivar receiving no Fe EDDHA spray, fruit yields were increased when sprayed with FeEDDHA. However, significant increases in yield for ‘Chandler’ and ‘Douglas’ cultivars with severe FeDC ratings were rioted when sprayed with FeEDDHA.