Effects of Foliar Spraying with some Antioxidants on Growth, Dry Seed Yield and Chemical Constituents of Common Bean (Phaseouls vulgaris L.) Plants Grown under Water Stress Levels

Abstract

The current study was carried out at Qaha Vegetable Research Farm (Qalubia Governorate), Horticulture Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (A. R. C.), Egypt, during the two successive summer seasons of 2017 and 2018 on common bean cv Nebraska. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of applied antioxidants (ascorbic acid at 100, 200 mg/L and putrescine at 25, 50 mg/L) under water regimes at three levels i.e. 100%. (control), 75% (moderate stress) and 50% (severe stress) of ETo(Evapotranspiration) respectively of water requirements of common bean plants in the two seasons and their interactions on vegetative growth characteristics, dry seed yield and its components and chemical compositions as well as seed quality. The experimental design was split-plot, the water regimes were arranged in the main plots, while foliar spraying with ascorbic acid and putrescine were adopted in the sub-plots. The obtained results of the treatments showed that foliar spraying with the aqueous solution of putrescine or ascorbic acid at the highest rate of 50 mg/ L or 200 mg/ L respectively under irrigated common bean plants with the moderate water level (75% ETo) markedly increased all of the vegetative growth parameters and dry seed yield and its components. In additions, the same mentioned treatments showed obvious increment in the chemical composition in leaves and dry seeds in both seasons. And led to save a part of the irrigation water (about 25 %) especially under the condition of water stress or drought