Effect of salicylic and ascorbic acids and method of application on flowering and green yield of broad bean (Vicia faba L.) plants

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during winter season of 2009-2010 at Al-Dair, Basrah Governorate with objective of exploring the effect of treatment withsalicylic and ascorbic acids and method of application on growth, flowering and yieldof green broad bean plants (Vicia faba L.) cv." Luz de otono". The study included 15treatments which were the combinations of two factors. The first factor was five levelsof salicylic acid and ascorbic acid [o , salicylic acid (15 ,30 mg.l.-1) and ascorbic acid(50,100 mg.l.-1].The second factor was methods of treatments: 1. seed soaking , 2. seedsoaking + plant spraying and 3. plant spraying only. A split plot design was used withthree replicates. Results showed that treatments with both salicylic acid and ascorbicacid caused reduced significantly the number of days to opening of the first of floratand significantly increased the number of inflorescences, florat per plant , yield and itscomponents as compared with the control. Salicylic acid at 15 mg.l.-1gave the highestvalues with respect to pod length , number, as well as the weight of 100 seeds andgreen pod yield per plant , green pod productivity, weight of fresh seeds per plant.Plants treated with salicylic acid at 30 mg.l.-1gave the highest number of seeds/pod , andpod weight, seeds protein and total soluble solids. Treatment of (seed soaking + plantspraying) with Salicylic acid at 15 mg.l.-1 gave the highest values of pod yield per plant(474.16 g.)and the green pod productivity (9.272 tone.donum-1)and the highest yield offresh seeds per plant (160.55 g.), and productivity of green pods (3.319 Tone . donum-1).