Response of Faba Bean to Foliar Spraying with Humic Substances and Micronutrients

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Soils, Water and Environment Ins. Agric. Res. Center, Egypt

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of humic substances, some micronutrients and their combination as foliar spraying on faba bean yield and seeds quality. Two field trials were carried out at Sakha Agric. Research Station Farm, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt, during two successive seasons of 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 using faba bean variety Sakha 2. Split plot design was used with four replicates. The main plots were assigned with two humic substances treatments (i) without humic substances spraying, and (ii) spraying with humic substances at the rate of 300 mg L-1 of spraying solution in the suitable volume for the plant ages. The sub-plots were assigned with five treatments of (1) without spraying (check treatment), (2) spraying with copper at the rate of 100 mg  Cu L-1 of spraying solution as copper sulphate, (3) spraying with zinc at the rate of 200 mg Zn L-1 of spraying solution as zinc sulphate, (4) spraying with iron at the rate of 300 mg Fe L-1 of spraying solution as ferrous sulphate, and (5) spraying with solution containing 100, 200 and 300 mg L-1 of Cu, Zn and Fe. The obtained results can be summarized as:
Spraying with micronutrients significantly increased faba bean seeds yield in both seasons. Spraying with Fe produced the highest seeds yield of 3753.9 and 3772.0 kg ha-1 in the first and second seasons, respectively and increased 100 seeds weight, N% and P% in the seeds, N content kg ha-1, protein % in the seeds and available P in the soil after the harvesting. Spraying with Cu increased the biological yield in both seasons. Humic substances high significantly increased the seed yield by 20.8 and 22.9% in the first and second seasons, respectively, increased the biological yield in both seasons, 100 seeds weight, N%, P%, N content, protein % in the seeds, available N and available P in the soil after the harvesting. Humic substances increased the stimulating effects of micronutrients on all the studied parameters.

Main Subjects