GROWTH AND YIELD OF LOCAL CELERY LINES IN RESPONSE TO FOLIAR APPLICATION OF YEAST AND SALICYLIC ACID

The present study was carried out in two successive seasons of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 at the experimental farm of Mansoura Horticultural Research Station, Dakahlia governorate, Egypt to study the effect of yeast (1500 and 3000 ppm) as well as salicylic acid (10 and 20 ppm) on vegetative growth, essential oil percentage and oil yield of six celery local breed lines plants. Results revealed that foliar application with yeast and salicylic acid increased significantly the vegetative growth characters i.e plant height, number of lateral branches, number of leaves as well as plant fresh and dry weights were responded positively in all celery lines to the foliar application treatments of yeast and salicylic acid. Regardless the foliar application treatments, lines number 5 and 6 recorded the highest values of vegetative growth characters, while lines 1 and 2 gave the lowest values. Foliar application of salicylic acid or yeast improved fruit yield, essential oil percentage and oil yield recording values higher compared with control plants. Lines number 5 and 6 had higher yields in comparison to other used lines. Generally, it could be concluded that, the highest fruit and essential oil yields were found by foliar spraying line 6 with the highest concentration of yeast (3000 ppm).