Improving yield and fruit quality of 'Wonderful' pomegranates using bagging and potassium treatments under Kafr El-Sheikh conditions

This research was carried out during 2015 and 2016 seasons on ninety six-year-old uniform 'Wonderful' pomegranate trees (Punica granatum L.). Five potassium fertilization rates were applied (390, 487, 585, 682 and 780 g K₂O tree^-1) either with or without fruit bagging with butter paper. The highest value of yield as fruit number tree^-1 and fruit weight (kg tree^-1), and average fruit weight, size, diameter and height were recorded when trees treated with 780 g potassium sulphate tree^-1 and bagging treatments. Furthermore, 780 g potassium sulphate tree^-1 and bagging treatments improved SSC, total acidity, and anthocyanin content, while the lowest tannin content in juice was recorded at 682 g potassium sulphate tree^-1 and bagging treatments. On the other hand, the lowest white arils percentages were recorded at 487 g potassium sulphate tree^-1 during both seasons. Therefore, these treatments could be recommended for improving yield and fruit quality, meanwhile decreasing white arils percentage in fruit of 'Wonderful' pomegranate growing under similar conditions of this study.