The present investigation was carried out during 2004 and 2005 seasons on Samany date palm cv. Samany grown in El-Kanater El-Khairia, El-Kaliobia Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of nitrogen (ammonium nitrate) and potassium (potassium sulphate) fertilization on date palm micronutrient status, fruit chemical properties, and effect of sampling time, leaflets position (basal, middle and terminal) on leaf and fruit micronutrient contents and interaction between them, in order to obtain information to be used as a basis to proper fertilizer programs. Applying (1.5+1.5) kg/palm/yearly caused the highest values of TSS in the two seasons and total sugars and reducing sugars in the first season. (1.75+1.50) kg/palm/yearly gave the lowest total acidity and highest non-reducing sugars in the first season. (2.00+1.50) kg/palm/yearly gave the highest moisture content in the first season.
The results showed that Mn, Zn Cu leaf contents were below standard. There were decreases in iron and zinc and increases in Mn and Cu concentrations of leaflets and date fruit with increasing rates of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers in both seasons. Iron was the predominant micronutrient in Samany dates. The contents of micronutrients in Samany date palm varied in both sampling time and leaflets position along the mature leaf.
The leaf micronutrients Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu concentrations increased with leaf age from May till August then decreased in September. Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu in fruits tended to be more at the beginning of fruit growth then decreased with fruit development.
The micronutrient levels in Samany date palm leaflets were significantly affected by leaflets position (basal, middle and terminal). Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu concentration of leaflets increase from the basal third toward the terminal third of the leaflets.