EFFECT OF FOLIAR SPRAY OF CHELATED IRON AND NUMBER OF SPRAYS ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF SNAKE CUCUMBER(Cucumis melo var. flexuoses Naud.)IN SOUTHERN IRAQ

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during the season of 2009 at Al-Der,Basrah. The aim was to study the Effect of Foliar Spraying of chelated iron and the number of sprayings on some vegetative growth, flowering and yield of snake cucumber cv."local".The experiment included 6 treatments came from the interaction among three chelated iron 6% conc.of (0,250,500)mg/l applied with spraying (two and three times) at 20 days intervals starting one month after sowing. Randomized Complete Block Design was used in a factorial experiment. Duncan's Multiple Range Test was used at probability of 5%. Results showed that, there were a significant effects of foliar spraying of chelated iron on vegetative growth (plant length, number of lateral branches and leaves), female and male flowers compared to the control, the most effective treatment was 500 mg/l chelate iron. Spraying chelated iron at a concentration of (500mg/l) was the most effective in those characteristics. Spraying with three times was more was effective compared to spraying with two times in those characteristics. Spraying chelated iron at 250 mg /l significantly increased fruit set, the number of fruits per plant and fruit weight. There were a significant effects of foliar spraying of chelated iron on yield . Foliar spraying with 500mg/l chelated iron was the most effective in early yield whereas, 250 mg/l was the most effective in yield per plant and total yield. The highest total yield came from foliar spraying with 250mg/l chelated iron applied three times giving 3.223 ton/donum.