EFFECT OF FOLIAR APPLICATION DATES WITH ETHEPHON ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF TWO COTTON VARIETIES

Abstract

Afield experiment was carried out at field experiment, college of Agriculture university of Baghdad, Abu-Graib, during season 2007 and 2008 to study the effect of four foliar application dates 1- without ethephon 2- Foliar with ethephon at flowering buds formation 3- at flowering stage 4- Foliar with ethephon at ball formation on growth traits and yield of two cotton varieties (Ashoure and Lashata).The results showed that each of the foliar application dates with ethephon and cotton varieties and its interaction have significant effect on field traits, growth and yield in the both seasons (2007 and 2008) There was increase in seed cotton yield rate in treatment of foliar with ethephon at flowering stage in two seasons. This increase resulted from increase of fruiting branches per plant, 23.33 ,23.16 branch, number of leaves per plant 193.16,192.50 leaves and leaf area per plant 6432.20 ,6547.51cm2, dry matter 111.50,106.50g. in both seasons respectively Lashata was better of number of leaves 129.66, 122.66 leaves , fruiting branches 16.25, 16.25, leaf area per plant 4686.47 ,4866.04cm2 and seed cotton1785.54,1820.83 thin another variety in both seasons respectively .Interaction between Lashata variety and foliar with ethephon at flowering stage gave the best growth traits and yield of cotton.