EFFECT OF SOME BIOREGULATORS AND PLANTING DATES ON PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF SNAP BEAN

Abstract

Two successive field experiments were conducted in the experimental farm, faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Qalubia governorate during the two winter seasons of 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 to study the response of snap bean cv Bronco to two sowing dates (1st and 16th of October ) and two bio-regulators i.e., salicylic acid (SA) at 0, 0.5 and 1.0 mM and Putrescine(PUT) at 0 , 1.0 and 2.0 mM as well as the combination between both of them . The experiments were laid out in a split plot design with three replicates .Plants growth characters were measured viz., plant height, leaf number, leaf area, fresh and dry weight of leaves. Chemical constituents of leaves viz., chlorophyll reading, nutrients content, proline and antioxidant activities were determined. At harvest time, pods were harvested at maturity stage, yield components viz., number of pods /plant and total and marketable yield were measured .chemical constituents of pod i.e., proteins, VC and fibers contents were determined. The data showed that, sown snap bean seeds in the 1st October gave the highest values of plant height, leaf area fresh and dry weight of leaves, chlorophyll reading, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium contents in leaves. Yield components, number of pods, protein V.C and fibers contents gave the similar trend. Concerning spraying plants with the two bio-regulators, the data showed that with a few exceptions rate of either SA or PUT enhanced all the previous characters, particularly when SA and PUT were coupled at higher dose rate.

Key words: Snap bean, salicylic acid, putrescine, sowing dates, growth, yield and Chemical constitutes.