EFFECT OF POTASSIUM CONCENTRATION AND SPRAYING STAGES ON SEED YIELD AND ITS COMPONENTS OF ALFALFA

摘要

A field experiment was conducted at the experimental fields in the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, Iraq from beginning of April 2017 to the end of August 2018. The main objective was to find out the effect of potassium (K) concentration (0, 1, 2 and 3 g.L-1) and three stages of foliar application (vegetative growth, beginning of flowers buds emergence and 25% flowering) on seed yield and its components of alfalfa local cultivar. Layout of the experiment was R.C.B.D. arranged in split-plot, with three replications. Foliar application stages were used as main-plots, while potassium concentrations were used as sub-plot. Results showed that spraying of K at conc. 3 g L-1 resulted in a significant increment in the number of stems m(-2), number of racemes stem(-1), number of florets raceme(-1), number of pods raceme(-1), number of seeds pod(-1) and seed yield. While % of florets abortion was not significantly influenced by K concentration. Highest 1000 seed weight was obtained when no K added (control treatment). Highest seed yield (439.1 kg ha(-1)) was obtained when K sprayed at conc. 3 gL(-1). Plants sprayed at vegetative growth produces highest number of florets raceme(-1), number of pods raceme(-1), number of seeds pod(-1) and seed yield (412.5 Kg ha(-1)). There were no significant effect of spraying stages on number of stems m(-2), % of florets abortion and number of seeds pod(-1). There were a significant interaction between. K conc. and spraying stages. The higher seed yield (537.0 kg ha(-1)) was obtained when alfalfa plants were sprayed with K at the conc. 3g L-1 in vegetative growth.