The Effect of Spraying with Two Different Sources of Calcium in Vegetative Growth Characteristics and Yield of Potato

A field experiment was conducted in Research Station A College of AgricultureUniversity of Baghdad, during the fall season of 2015, which attempts to study the effect of spraying calcium of two different sources, mineral and organic:aliquid mineral fertilizer (Fosfital calcium) atthree levels (2.5, 5, 7.5ml.L -1 ) and the a liquid organic fertilizer (Polixal) withthree levels (2.5, 5, 7.5 ml.L -1 ) beside control treatment in the vegetative growth and production indicators of Burren potato variety using Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The experiment results demonstrated that spraying with the calcium organic source enhancedvegetative growth indicators as represented in the number of leaves and the dry weight of the vegetative growth, wherenon-significant in number of air stems indicator.However,calcium from organic source also gave a significant effect inthe tubers production and the crop indicators as represented by the dry matter percentage, tubers content of N, Ca, protein, starch, activity of a-amylase and peroxidase enzymes, marketable plant yield, number of marketable tubers, and the total marketable yield . It was also found that spraying with mineral calcium source gave the highest content of P and K in yielding tubers in compare to control treatment which gave the lowest values of these indicators.These results showed the significance of foliar application with calcium from organic source and it ′ s positive effectin improving the crop quality, nutritional content andreducing negative effects in the environment which result from using the mineral sources.