YIELD AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE OF SOME FABA BEAN VARIETIES GROWN IN NEWLY CULTIVATED SOIL AS AFFECTED BY FOLIAR APPLICATION OF HUMIC ACID

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted in sandy soil under salinity conditions in El-Emam El-Ghazaly Village, South El-Tahrir Province, El-Behaira Governorate, Egypt, during the two winter successive seasons 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 using three faba bean (Vicia faba L.) varieties, namely: Giza-461, Giza-3, Giza-429, to study the effect of foliar spray of commercially produced humic acid 2.9%, containing N,P,K (10,10,10%) used during the growing season at concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 20 cm/l on yield and yield components as well as nutrient uptake in faba bean seeds. There were significant differences between treatments and control for seed yield, biological yield and harvest index. The reaction between the treatments and the varieties showed that foliar application of humic acid for Giza-461 at concentration of 20 cm/l enhanced the number and weight of pods and straw as well as seed, biological yield. All treatments of humic increased the nutrient uptake more than control. The highest N uptake was attained with 20cm/l and the highest Fe and Mn uptake was with 5 cm/l. The highest uptake of nutrients as affected by humic foliar application was obtained from 20 cm/L with Giza-461, from 5 cm/L with Giza-3 and 10 cm/L with Giza-429. It seems that foliar application of humic acid under such conditions is more effective in improving seed nutrient uptake and yield of faba bean varieties under study.