EFFECT OF PLANTING DATES AND SPRAYING WITH POTASSIUM SULFATE ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF BROAD BEAN

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in an experimental field , College of Agriculture , Abu-Ghraib during winter season of 2009 – 2010 to study the effect of planting dates and spraying potassium sulfate on growth and yield of Broad Bean seeds of Luz de Otono cultivar were used . Treatments consisted of two planning dates ( Sept.,15th and Oct.,15th 2009 ) and spraying potassium sulfate ( K2SO4 ) at three concentrations ( 0 , 2.5 and 5 g.L-1). The experiment was conducted using split –plot design with three replications . Planting dates considered as main-plot , while spraying potassium sulfate as sub-plot . LSD test at 5% level was used to compare the treatments means and interaction . The results showed that planting on Sept.,15th gave a significant increase in number of branches per plant , dry weight of vegetative growth and leaf area . It was also found that the early planting on Sept.,15th gave a significant increase in early yield , total yield and total protein in seeds . Late planting on Oct.,15th gave a decrease in the number of days to reach 50% flowering . Spraying K2SO4 at concentration of 2.5 g.L-1 gave an increase in dry weight of vegetative growth and leaf area , while spraying K2SO4 at concentration of 5 g.L-1 gave an increase in the number of branches per plant and decrease the time to reach 50% flowering and a significant increase in early yield , total yield and total protein in the seeds . Interactions between studied factors were significant in all characters studied .