Growth flowering and productivity of vicia faba plants treated with uniconazole

ABSTRACT

A pot experiment was carried out during the growth season 1991/92 and repeated during the growth season 1992/93 to study the effect of spraying bean plants twice, during vegetative growth, with solutions of uniconazole [at concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 20 or 40 ppm] on the growth parameters [plant height, rate of stem elongation as well as number of branches and leaves], flowering, yield components [number and weight of pods and number and weight of seeds, all per plant, as well as the weight of 100 seeds] and the chemical composition of the harvested seeds. The treatments significantly decreased plant height and inhibited the rate of stem elongation, especially during the 2 or 3 weeks [according to the concentration used] following the treatment, the decrements were in a linear relationship with the concentration used. The average number of branches leaves [all per plant] and days required for the appearance of the first flower were increased due to the treatments. The increments were only significant with the first criterion after the second application of uniconazole. All the concentrations used [except that of 40 ppm] caused significant increases in the yield components, the best results were obtained with 20 ppm