Effect of Planting Dates, Soil Mulching and Foliar Spraying Calcium on The Quantitative Yield Characteristics of Okra Plant Grown in plastic Greenhouse

Abstract

Maymunah Horticulture Station, Agriculture Directorate of Maysan. The experiment included 24 treatments of possible combinations between three sowing dates (T1=15/12, T2=31/12 and T3=15/1), two soil mulching treatments (M2=mulching the soil by black polyethylene, M1=Without mulching) and four concentrations of calcium fertilizer (Ca) (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 ml.l-1), to study its effect on the quantitative yield characteristics of Okra plant cultivar "btayrh". The results showed that cultivated plants at date (15/1) showed significant increase in number of pods per plant, weight of pod, length and diameter of pod, the yield per plant and early yield compared to plants of dates (15/12 and 31/12). The cultivated plants in mulching soil were significantly higher in all studied quantitative yield characteristics. The sprayed plants with calcium (1ml.l-1) were superior in all studied quantitative yield characteristics. The interactions between the studied factors were significant in all the quantitative yield characteristics. The cultivated plants at date (15/1) with mulching and the sprayed by calcium fertilizer (1 ml.l-1) gave the highest values of length & weight of pod, the yield per plant and early yield per plastic house (6.31cm, 4.08g, 81.32g and 0.180 Kg.m-2) respectively. While the cultivated plants at (15/12) and un mulching soil and unfertilized gave the lowest values (2.49cm, 3.58g, 38.50g and 0.085 Kg.m-2) respectively. In conclusion the present study indicated that growth and yield of okra cultivar increased by the addition of 1ml.l-1 calcium which planting on 15 January and mulching soil.