YIELD AND QUALITY OF TWO FLAX VARIETIES AS AFFECTED BY FOLIAR SPRAYING WITH POTASSIN RATES AND NITROGEN LEVELS UNDER SANDY SOIL CONDITION

Abstract

Two field experiments were performed at the Experimental Farm, Esmailia Agric. Res. Station Agric. Res. Center, Esmailia Governorate, Egypt during the two growing seasons of 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 to study the influence of foliar spraying of potassin rates at (1 and 1.5 liters potassin/fed.) and the three nitrogen levels of 25, 50 and 75 kg N/fed. on yield, yield components and some technological characters of the two flax varieties Sakha 1 and Sakha 2. Moreover, simple correlation coefficient among straw and seed yields and their components as well as fiber yield and its quality were studied. Results obtained could be summarized as follows: The flax variety Sakha 1 surpass Sakha 2 in total length, technical length, straw yield/plant as well as per feddan, fiber yield/plant as well as per feddan, fiber length and fiber fineness in both seasons in addition to the combined analysis over them. Fiber percentage had similar trend except with only the second season where Sakha 2 superior over Sakha 1 in this case without significance. The flax variety Sakha 2 ranked first in no. of fruiting branches, no. of capsules/plant, no. of seeds/capsule, 1000 seed weight, seed yield/plant as well as per feddan, seed oil percentage and oil yield/fed. Foliar spraying with potassin at the rate of 1.5 liter/fed. achieved maximum mean values of all straw and seed characters under study, except with fiber fineness trait, which recorded highest estimates by spraying with 1 liter, these results were true in both seasons and the combined data. There was gradual increment in straw and seed yields in addition to their components with increasing nitrogen levels from 25 towards the highest dose at 75 kg N/fed., except with fiber fineness trait which more fine fiber obtained by applying 25 kg N/fed. and more coarse fiber occurred with increasing nitrogen levels towards the highest level. Straw yield/plant was highly significant and positive correlated with each of total length, technical length, fiber yield/plant, fiber yield/feddan and fiber length. Also, the r values were highly significant and positive between seed yield and either no. of capsules/plant or 1000 seed weight.