THE INFLUENCE OF NANO-COPPER AND SAFETY COMPOUNDS ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF "LE CONTE" PEAR TREES UNDER INFECTION WITH FIRE BLIGHT

Fire blight is the most thoughtful diseases that effects great damage of pome fruits trees particularly pears in Egypt and over world. The causal agent of fire blight is Erwinia amylovora, the Gram-negative bacteria, a disturbing disease troubling species of the family Rosaceae. In this study two extracts were applied which were Hibiscus extract and pomegranate peel extract. Also, Nano cu, oxolinic acid (starrier 20%) were evaluated on susceptible pear cultivar (Le-conte pear trees budded on Pyrus communis) and compared with the outcome of streptomycin as standard antibiotic in green house and under field conditions. Under greenhouse disease symptoms and severity of inoculated pear seedlings and treated with plant extracts, nano copper (cu). starner and streptomycin showed significant inhibition and decrease as compared with the control infected only. Under field conditions and natural infection, as a result of using with hibiscus extract, pomegranate peel, nano copper(cu), starner and streptomycin, disease severity, disease symptoms and electrolyte leakage % were decreased significantly. Consequently, that the vegetative growth such as chlorophyll content, efficiency of photosynthesis, shoot length and diameter were significantly increased with all treatments. Fruit set, yield and quality were improved compared to the control.