The Effect of Salinity and Spray with Gibberellin and Cultar on Flowering and Fruiting of Two Cultivars of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.)

Abstract

The experiment is conducted to study the effect of gibberellin, cultar, and salinity levels and their interactions on flowering and fruiting characters of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) cv; local and luz De otono. Seeds are planted in metal canes at dimensions of 23 X 33 X 33 cm using silty-clay soil. The experiment runs during the period from 15-10-2006 until 17-4-2007. The two plant growth regulators used are; GA3 at 100, 200, or 400 mg/L and cultar at 250, 500 or 1000 mg/L in addition to control (plants sprayed with distilled water only). The salt levels are 0.02, 0.04 or 0.06 molar in addition to control treatment. Treatments are designed as a factorial experiment (7 x 4) in completely randomized design with three replicates. The flowering and fruiting parameters measured are; date to 50% flowering and podding, total flowers number, total pods number, percentage of dry matter of pods and seeds in addition to protein and carbohydrate percentage in seeds.The results show that there are no significant effects of gibberellic acid treatments on the time to 50% flowering, or total number of flowers per plant. Cultar treatments causes an earliness of flowering and an increase in total number of flowers. Salinity treatments has a negative effect especially at the treatment of 0.06 molar of sodium chloride. Gibberellic acid treatments increase the time to reach 50% pods and decreased the total number of pods. Cultar treatments decrease the time to reach 50% pods and increase the total number of pods. Sodium chloride treatments have a reverse effect to that of the cultar. Dry matter percentage of pods and seeds decreased due to all treatments used. All treatments used have no significant effect in protein percentage in seeds of the local cultivar or carbohydrate percentage in seeds of luz De otono cultivar. Interaction between the two growth regulators and salinity levels has significant effect on most of the parameters determined especially the combination of the high concentration of gibberellic acid or cultar with the high level (0.06 molar) of sodium chloride.