This experiment was carried out during the two successive summer seasons of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 at EL-Kassasien Horticultural Research Station, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of foliar application with ZnSO4 at rates of 0,150 and 200 mg/ l as and boric acid H3BO3 (17 % boron)at rates 0, 100 and 150 mg/l on vegetative growth, photosynthetic pigments, chemical constituents in branches and fruit, yield productivity, fruit quality at harvest time Strawberry plants (Fragaria × ananassa Duch cv. Camarosa) grown under sandy soil conditions with drip irrigation system.
Result showed that spraying strawberry plant with 150 mg/ l ZnSO4 or 150 mg/l H3BO3 significantly increased all studied parameters, such as vegetative plant growth, early and total yield as well as fruit quality in both seasons as compared to control treatment (0 mg/ l), which recorded the lowest values of all studied parameters. In generally, spraying plants with 150 mg/ l ZnSO4+ 150 mg/ l H3BO3 gave the best results for increasing plant growth , yield and its components as well as fruit quality, i.e., Vit. C, TSS and total sugar in both seasons as compared other interaction treatments.
Conclusively, application of ZnSO4 or H3BO3 at 150 mg/l of each alone or mixture improved vegetative growth in the tested plants and increased yield and fruit quality.