EFFECT OF RIDGE WIDTH, HILL DISTANCE AND NITROGEN FERTILIZER RATES ON GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF STEVIA PLANT | ||||
| Journal of Plant Production | ||||
| Article 18, Volume 34, Issue 5, May 2009, Page 4963-4975 PDF (789.11 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jpp.2009.117344 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
| A. M. Azab; M. A. El-Hawary; A. M. Hamad | ||||
| Agron., Dept., Fac. of Agric. Al-Azhar Univ. Cairo, Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Two field experiments were laid out at El-Bakatoush Village, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt in 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 seasons to study the effect of two ridge width (40 and 50 cm), three hill distances (15, 20 and 25 cm) and three nitrogen fertilizer rates (0, 30 and 45 kg N/fed/cut) as well as their interactions on growth, yield and quality of stevia plant (Stevia relebaudiana Bertoni) c. v. Spanti. The experiments were laid out in split- split plot design with three replications. The obtained results showed that plants sown on narrow ridge (40 cm) gave the highest values of leaf area index per plant, leaves dry weight cut/feddan, stevioside percentage at all cuts, total leaves dry weight per feddan and stevioside yield per feddan in both seasons. On the other hand, ridge width at 50 cm gave the highest number of leaves per plant at all cuts in both seasons. The closer hill spacing (15 cm apart) exceeded the middl and widest hill spacing at (20 and 25 cm which) in all previously mentioned traits, except number of leaves per plant was higher at the wider hill spacing (25 cm apart) at all cuts in both seasons. Increasing nitrogen fertilizer rates up to 45 kg N/fed/cut increased values of all studied characters at all cuts in both seasons. Planting stevia plants on ridging width 40 cm and hill distance 15 cm gave the highest values of all studied characters at all cuts in both seasons, except number of leaves per plant. Planting stevia plants on narrow ridge (40 cm) and fertilized with 45 kg N/fed/cut gave the highest averages of all studied characters at all cuts in both seasons, except number of leaves per plant was highest with 50 cm ridge width and 45 kg N/fed/cut. Plants having the close hill (15 cm) and fertilized by 45 kg N/fed/cut gave the highest values of all studied parameters except, number of leaves in both seasons. The highest total leaves dry weight per feddan and stevioside yield per feddan was recorded by sowing plants on narrow ridge (40 cm) and closer hill (15 cm) as well as fertilized by 45 kg N/fed/cut in both seasons. | ||||
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