Response of some rice cultivars (Oryza sativa L.) to spraying with a natural honey solution and effect on growth and yield characteristics

Abstract

The field experiment for the current study was carried out at the rice research station in Najaf governorate, affiliated with the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture. To know the response of three cultivars of rice to spraying with the natural honey solution at different. The factorial experiment was carried out using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed the significant effect of the various study factors with their interactions on the characteristics of the present study, as the honey solution spray treatment at 6 g. l-1 was superior to cultivar Ambar 33 in plant height and number of panicle branches (same as cultivar Mashkhab 1 with the same concentration). The number of grains in panicle, panicle length, 1000 grain weight and fertility percentage (same as cultivar Jasmine with the same concentration) achieved 67.7%, 88.3%, 104.5%, 52.7%, 21.3% and 148% increase for the traits, respectively compared to control treatment. As for the result, the spray treatment of cultivar Jasmine with a concentration of 6 g.l-1 with the natural honey solution was superior in giving the highest grain yield with an increase of 45.6%. Keywords: rice cultivars, spraying, honey, growth, yield.