GROWTH, YIELD AND GRAIN QUALITY OF WHEAT AS INFLUNCED BY POTASSIUM, SILICON AND BORON FOLIAR APPLICATION UNDER NEWLY RECLAIMED SANDY SALINE SOILS IN NORTH NILE DELTA

S.E. SEADH¹, W.A.E. ABIDO², M.M.A. HAMADA^3
1Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Egypt.
²Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Egypt.
³Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Egypt.

Received : 09-12-2014     Accepted : 05-02-2015     Published : 06-03-2015
Volume : 4     Issue : 1       Pages : 125 - 133
World Res J Agron 4.1 (2015):125-133

Keywords : Wheat, foliar application, potassium silicate, potassium borate, silicon, boron, wheat growth, yield, grain quality
Conflict of Interest : None declared

Potassium, silicon and boron foliar fertilization with optimum management lead to maximize wheat growth, yield and grain quality under the conditions of newly reclaimed sandy saline soils conditions in North Nile Delta. Therefore, two field experiments were carried out at the Experimental Station Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University during 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 seasons. This work aimed to study the response of wheat cultivar Sakha 93 to potassium, silicon and boron foliar application treatments (rates and times of application). The experiments were conducted in strip-plot design with four replicates. The vertical plots were allocated to rates of potassium, silicon and boron as foliar application. While, the horizontal plots were particular to times of foliar application with rates of potassium, silicon and boron. Results indicate that foliar application with potassium silicate at the rate of 10.0 ml/liter (0.829 g K2 and 1.168 g Si) was the best treatment, which significantly increased all studied characters, followed by foliar application with potassium borate at the rate of 5.0 ml/liter (1.410 g K2 and 0.200 g B). Foliar application treatments after 60, 90 and 120 days from sowing (DFS) significantly increased all studied characters in both seasons. It could be recommended that foliar application after 60, 90 and 120 DFS with potassium silicate at the rate of 10.0 ml/liter (0.829 g K2 and 1.168 g Si) or potassium borate at the rate of 5.0 ml/liter (1.410 g K2 and 0.200 g B) to maximize wheat growth, yield and its components as well as grain quality under the environmental conditions of new reclaimed sandy saline soils in North Nile Delta.