Revista Europea de Biología Experimental Acceso abierto

Abstracto

Effects of foliar application of micronutrients on yield and yield components of castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) varieties

Mohammad Reza Salamatbakhsh, Ahmad Tobe, Elnaz Taherifard

In order to study the effects of foliar application of micronutrients on yield and yield components of castor bean varieties, an experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station of Saatlo in Urmia, Iran, during 2010 growing season. Experiment was arranged as factorial in randomized completely block design with three replications. Treatments were two local varieties of castor bean (V1 = Arak and V2 = Tafresh) and micronutrients spraying time (T1 = at flowering stage of first raceme, T2 = at flowering stage of first raceme + at flowering stage of secondary racemes, T3 = at flowering stage of first raceme + at flowering stage of secondary racemes + grain filling of secondary racemes, and T4 = control; without foliar application). Analysis of variance showed that the maximum grain yield (2308.87 kg ha-1) obtained from varieties treatment (var. Tafresh) and the maximum grain yield (2423.31 kg ha-1) in spraying time treatment, obtained from T2 (at flowering stage of secondary racemes). Interaction of two factors (variety × spraying time) was significant only in grain yield at 1% level and maximum grain yield (2581.2 kg ha-1) was obtained from Tafresh variety in flowering stage of secondary racemes (V2 × T2).