RESPONSE OF SOYBEAN (Glycine max, L. Merrill) TO PLANT DISTRIBUTIONS AND MICRO ELEMENTS F LIAR SPRAYING: I. GROWTH CHARACTERS AND SEED OIL CONTENT.

Two field experiments were carried out at a Private field in EI-Mehala
EI-Kobra Center, Gharbia Governorate, Egypt during the two growing
seasons of 2000 and 2001. This investi9ation aimed to study the e~ect of
different plant distributions and microelements foliar application treatm*nts on
growth characters and seed oil content of soybean (Glycine max, L. errill)
OJ. Giza 35. The experiments included six plant distributions and seven
treatments of microelements foliar application. A strip plot design Wjth four
replicates was used, The main findings could be summarized as follows:

Planting soybean in arrangements that approach uniform distribut'on on
two sides of the ridge, 10 or 20 em between hills and leaving one or two
plants per hill produced the highest values of reaf area, leat area index,
oil % and number of branches per plant, however, the tallest plants were
obtained from sown plants on one side of the ridge, 15 cm between hills
and leaving three plants per hill.
Foliar application the combination of Mn + Mo at the concentrations of
100 and 50 ppm, respectively (F5) recorded highest values of Ie f area,
leaf area index and number of branches per plant and Oil % n both
seasons. However, foliar application of Zn at the concentration of 100
ppm (F2) and Mo at the concentration 01 50 ppm (F3) produqed the
tallest plants in both seasons.
The interaction between plant distributions and microelements foliar
application had signifICant effect on both leaf area index and number of
branches per plant in both seasons. The highest values were pr~uced
from sowing on both ridge Sides at 10 cm between hills and leavililg one
plant per hill with foliar application of combination of Mn +Mo at 1 0 and
50 ppm, respectively in both seasons.