Effect of Calcium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, and Maleic Acid Spraying on Growth and Yield of Two Potato Varieties (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Two different potato varieties, Riviera and Argana, were used in this study to evaluate their performance under the influence of foliar fertilization (calcium and magnesium) at four concentrations (0%, 0.5%, and 1% calcium chloride, and 0.4% magnesium sulfate) and foliar spraying with malic acid at three concentrations (0, 250, and 500 mg L-1) in the vegetable field of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Design at the College of Agriculture and Forestry during the spring growing season of 2023. The study was conducted using a complete randomized block design with three replicates. Argana variety showed significant superiority over Riviera in traits such as plant height, leaf area, average tuber weight, and yield per plant, while Riviera variety outperformed Argana significantly in the number of aerial stems. The best yield per plant for Argana variety was obtained with 0.4% magnesium sulfate and 250 mg L-1 malic acid treatment, while the best plant height was achieved in the same variety with 0.4% magnesium sulfate and 500 mg L-1 malic acid treatment. The highest number of stems was observed in Riviera variety with 0% calcium chloride and 500 mg L-1 malic acid treatment, while the lowest was in Argana variety with 0.5% calcium chloride and 250 mg L-1 malic acid treatment. The highest leaf area was found in Riviera variety treated with 0.5% calcium chloride and 0 mg L-1 malic acid, while the lowest was in the control treatment of the same variety. The highest average tuber weight was recorded in Argana variety with 0.5% calcium chloride and 250 mg L-1 malic acid treatment, while the lowest was in Riviera variety with 0% calcium chloride and 250 mg L-1 malic acid treatment