Impact Of Azolla With Different Fertilizer Rates On Vegetative Growth, Yield, Quality And Economic Evaluation In Zucchini

The challenge of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) for preserving the environment and increase the food production is one of the main challenges in the agricultural sector to face climate change impact. This challenge encourages the world for maximaizing the mineral fertilizers’ efficiency with the less utilized amount. This paper aims to evalualte the efficacy of Azolla on vegetative growth, fruit quality, yield and storability in zucchini with utilizing different rates of mineral fertilizers. The experiment was carried out in the experimental farm of Dokki site for Protected Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Giza, Egypt, during two successive seasons of 2022 and 2023. Three different treatments of mineral fertilizers were applied on zucchini (Cucurbita pepo), which represented 100, 75 and 50% of the recommended dose of NPK. The applied fertilizer treatments were represented once with Azolla (soil addition at rate 5g/plant) and once without. The best vegetative and fruit properties, nutritional status of plants and yield of Zucchini were revealed by the recommended dose of mineral fertilizers (100%). The treated soil with Azolla indicated significant higher measurements such as growth, NPK content of plants, yield and properties of zucchini fruits compared with the untreated soil plants. The highest yield was recorded with the recommended mineral fertilizer dose and the treated soil with Azolla. The less mineral fertilizer treatment (75% of the recommended dose) with the treated soil of Azolla had achieved higher nutrient content, physical and chemical properties than using the recommended dose of mineral fertilizer without Azolla, however the recommended dose of mineral fertilizer without Azolla showed higher yield and fruit quality higher the 75% mineral fertilizers with adding Azolla. The highest nutrient use efficiency was performed with Azolla treatment and 50% of mineral fertilizer. The highest revenue and net profit appeared by 100% mineral fertilizers with adding Azolla, but with low to insignificant difference between the same fertilization dose with non-Azolla addition. While 75% mineral fertilizers with adding Azolla showed a high revenue and net profit with a significant difference (close to double) between the same fertilization dose with non-Azolla addition.