EFFECT OF MULCH AND FOLIAR SPRAY WITH BIOSTIMULANTS AND CHEMICAL NUTRIENTS ON CUCUMBER PLANTS GROWN UNDER PLASTIC HOUSES II-FOLIAR SPRAY EFFECT

The experiments were carried out during successive early summer season of 2004 and 2005 years. under doublespan plastic house (5.1 x 17 x 55m), Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate. The main objective of this research was to study the effect of mulches and foliar nutrition with biostimulants (soft bread yeast plus K citrate and seaweed extracts) and chemical fertilizer (containing macro and micro nutrients) on growth yield, anlysis of disease infection of hybrid cucumber (Petostar). The results are summarized as follows: Application of yeast plus K cit. gave the highest values of vegetative growth parameters (stem length and diameter no. of internodes and lateral branches) fruits yield yearly and total yields, compared with control (no spray) which had the lowest values. In contrast, the previous treatments gave the lowest values of D.S. of downy and powdery mildews compared with whether bare soil, no spray or control which had the highest values.