Growth and green pods yield of okra plants as influenced by plant spacing and apical bud pinching

Abstract EN

The present work was carried out in Vegetable Private Farm at Al-Mothalath Village, AbouHamad Distrect, Sharkia Governorate during two successive summer seasons of ٢٠١٤ and ٢٠١٥, to study the effect of plant spacing (٢٠, ٣٠, ٤٠ and ٥٠ cm) and apical bud pinching (ABP) stages (ABP at the ٤th node, the ٦th node, ٨th node and without ABP) on growth and productivity of okra cv Balady Ahmar under sand loam soil conditions and using surface irrigation system.

Obtained results could be summarized as follow: Plant height and total green pods yield/fad., increased with the closest plant spacing (٢٠ cm), whereas number of branches/ plant and leaf area, dry weight of leaves and total dry weight/plant, number of green pods/plant and green pod yield/ plant were increased with the widest plant spacing (٥٠ cm).

Number of leaves/ plant was increased with ٤٠ cm plant spacing.

The longest plants were recorded with the control treatment (without ABP), whereas ABP at the ٤th node increased number of leaves/plant, dry weight of leaves and total dry weight/ plant and ABP at the ٨th node increased number of branches/plant.

On the other side, apical bud pinching at the ٦th node (ABP at ٣٥ days after seed sowing) increased number of green pods yield/plant, green pod yield/plant and total green pod yield/faddan.

The interaction between plant spacing at ٣٠ cm and ABP at the ٦th node, increased number of leaves/plant, whereas the interaction between plant spacing at ٥٠ cm and ABP at the ٦th node increased number of branches / plant, dry weight of leaves and total dry weight/ plant, number of green pods / plant, green pod yield / plant in both seasons.

The narrow plant spacing (٢٠ cm) and ABP at the ٦th node increased total green pod yield / faddan.