EFFECT OF SPRAYING SOME PLANT EXTRACTIONS AND ANTI-OXIDANT ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF SUNFLOWER

Abstract

To investigate the effect of spraying some plant extraction and anti-oxidants on growth and yield of two cultivars of sunflower, a field experiment was conducted during fall season of 2009 and spring season of 2010 at the Experimental Farm, Department of Field Crop Science, College of Agriculture/ University of Baghdad. RCBD with three replications as factorial at two factors was used. First factor was cultivars Akmar and Shmoss, second was spraying with extraction of karkade at 25%, liquorices at 50%, vitamin C at concentration 1.5 mg.l-1 and nutrient which content 15 elements at concentration 15 % in addition to control treatment which sprayed with distilled water only. The result showed no significant differences between the two cultivars in leave numbers per plant and leaf area for both seasons. Shmoss cv. Was superior in plant height (231.49 cm), stem diameter(3.27cm) in fall season of 2009, and yield (8.850 and 7.329) ton.ha-1 for both seasons respectively, while Akmar cv. Superior in protein (27.91 and 27.81)% respectively. All the spraying treatments were superior in all aspects except protein percentage for both seasons compared with control treatment. Karkade treatment was superior in yield (9.952 and 7.689) ton.ha-1 respectively. Liquorices treatment was superior in leave number (33 and 30) leaf.plant-1 and protein percentage (27.61 and 27.59) % respectively. Nutrient treatment was superior in stem diameter (3.25 and 2.97) cm for both seasons respectively. We can concluding that Shmoss cv. was significantly superior at grain yield, while Akmar cv. gave highest mean for protein percentage. In addition to, the plant extractors was significantly effect on studied traits. Therefore, we can recommend using plant extractors and anti-oxidants as alternative nature safety to increasing grain yield per area unit.