EFFECT OF PLANT POPULATION AND SOWING DATES ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF DRY BEAN (Phaseolus vulgaris,L) PART 2:( PIGMENTS, SEEDS CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND YIELD QUALITY)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Vegt., Fuc.,Agri., Suez Canal , Univ.

2 Veg.Res. Dept., Hort.Inst.,Agric.Res.Center.

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out during summer seasons of 2010 and 2011 at the Experimental Farm at El-Kassaien, Hort. Res. Station Ismalia Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of sowing dates and plant density on vegetative growth, dry seed yield and its components as well as chemical constituents of dry seed for snap bean plants cv. Nebrasica grown in the newly reclaimed sandy soil. This experiment included 12 treatments, which were the combinations  between  three sowing dates (  February  1st ,  March  1st  and   April 1st ) and  four plant density (  56 plants/m2,  40 plants/m2 , 28 plants/m2  and   20 plants/m2). . Planting  of snap been  on March  1st  gave the   maximum values of  total chlorophyll a+b,  N,P and K  total uptake by seed.  in the two seasons. Plant, density of snap been  at  20 plants / m2 had significant  effect  on of  total chlorophyll a+b,  N,P and K  total uptake by seed in  both seasons. On the other hand, the interaction between sowing date on March 1st and plant density at 20 plants/m2 significantly increased photosynthetic pigments, N, P and K total uptake by snap bean seeds.