Effect of Sowing Dates and Foliar Application with Zinc on Production and Quality of Two Faba Bean (Vicia faba, L.) Varieties

Two field Experiments were conducted at the Experimental Farm of the Agriculture Research Center in Al-Azhar
Univ. at Assiut, during 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons to study the effect of three sowing dates (10th October, 25th October
and 10th November) and foliar application with zinc [0 (control), 30 and 60 ppm] on the production and quality of two
varieties of faba bean (Misr-1 and Giza-40).
The obtained results showed that faba bean varieties exhibited significant differences in 100-seed weight; seed yield
and straw yield/fad. and seeds protein percentage in both seasons, except seed yield/plant in the second season only. On
other hand, number of branches/plant and number of pods/plant did not showed significant differences in both seasons.
Also, sowing dates caused significant and gradual increases in all traits under study in both seasons. In generally, crop
sown in 25- October produced the highest values of all mentioned characters in both growing seasons. Increasing the
concentration zinc foliar of application from 0, 30 and 60 ppm caused significant and gradual increases in all studied
characters, i.e. number of branches and of pods/plant, seed yield/plant, 100-seed weight as well as seed and straw
yields/fad. Also, such treatment increased protein percentage of faba bean seeds. In general, the highest value of seed
yield/ fad. and quality was obtained from sowing faba bean Misr-1 variety on the 25th Oct. and zinc foliar application
concentration of 60ppm under Assiut conditions.