EFFECT OF ORGANIC,CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS AND PLANT DENSITY ON: 1- SOME GROWTH AND YIELD CHARCTERISTICS OF CAULIFLOWER Brassica oleracea var.botrytis

Abstract

The Experiment was carried out at experimental station, college of Agriculture –University of Diyala during autumn season 2014 to investigate the effects of fertilization, plant densities and their interactions on growth and yield of cauliflower. The Experiment included 12 treatment represent two plant densities, the first was planting seedlings on one side of drips tube at 40 cm distance between plants. The second was planting seedling on both sides of the drips irrigation tubes at the same distance between plants. Distance between drips tubes were 30 cm for the both previous cases. Six fertilizers treatments were used including: control (without fertilizer), sheep manure at 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 % of soil volume (calculated on the basis of experimental unit area and 0.3 m depth) and chemical fertilizer NPK 20:20:20 at a rate of 300kg ha-1. Half of the chemical fertilizer was added at one week after transplanting in the field, and the second was added at curds appearance. Factorial experiment designed according to R.C.B.D with three replicates was used in this study. Result means were compared using Duncans Multiple Range Test at the probability level 0.05. Results indicate that first density planting caused significant increase in the number of leaves, total chlorophyll, the percentage of dry matter percent, curd weights without leaves and protein reached to 20.67 leaf plant-1, 1.46 mg g-1, 19.85%, 1.04 kg plant-1 and 9.85% respectively.as compared with the second density which reduced the number of it to 18.83 leaf Plant-1, 1.38 mg g-1, 16.59%, 0.52 kg plant-1, and 8.78% respectively. Addition of sheep manures at a level of 10 % increased the number of leaves, total chlorophyll, percentage of dry matter, curd weights without leaves, the marketable curds weight ( just curds) and curds content of protein to 22.0 leaf Plant-1, 1.58 mg g-1, 22.90 %, 1.27 kg plant-1, and 46.21 ton ha-1 and 12.16 % respectively, as compared with no fertilizer which reduced the number of it to 18.0 leaf Plant-1, 1.23 mg g-1, 12.06 %, 0.40 kg plant-1, 14.31 ton ha-1 and 6.72% respectively. Interaction between the first density and sheep manures 10% gave a significant increase in the last characteristic respectively, as compared with treatment interaction between the second density and no fertilizer.