Abstract
The present attempt was performed at the farm of El-sirw agricultural Research station, Damietta province in 2018 and 2019 seasons to find out the response of grain quality of Giza 179 rice variety to phosphorous foliar spray at various concentrations and growth stages using phosphoric acid (P) under saline sodic soils, The experiments were performed in randomized complete block design with four replications, The treatments involved the application of control, three concentrations of 1.5%, 2.5 and 3.5% P applied one, two and three times at mid tillering stage (MT), at MT+ panicle initiation stage (PI), MT-PI+ mid booting stage (BT), respectively and basal application of recommended phosphorous in form of calcium superphosphate at the recommended rate. The obtained findings provided significant and positive effect for phosphoric foliar spray at various growth stages on rice grain nutrition and quality. Foliar spray of 3.5% three times was found to be effective and efficient in improving grain nutrient content since it gave the highest values of nitrogen, phosphorous, zinc and protein grain content as well as hulled, milled and head grains. Also, the last treatment gave the lowest values of chalkiness% of rice grains. The highest values of amylose were produced by calcium super phosphate. The couple treatments of 3.5N) applied three times and basal application of calcium superphosphate were at a par regarding grain quality and nutrition. It could sum up that phosphoric acid spray at 3.5% thrice is equivalent to the recommend phosphorous as basal in the form of calcium super phosphate.