Effects of salicylic acid elicitor and potassium fertilizer as foliar spray on canola production in the reclaimed land in Ismailia governorate, Egypt

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the farm of Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, during 2013/’14 and 2014/’15 seasons, to determine the effects of salicylic acid elicitor (SA) and potassium fertilizer (K) as foliar spray on canola production in the reclaimed land. Canola plants were sprayed with three rates of K and SA separately and together. The concentrations of SA with a surfactant triton 0.1% and concentrations of K sprayed after 30 days of sowing by one week interval for three times using hydraulic sprayer. Results indicated that K and SA provided good nutrition and resistance for pathogens, enhanced plant height (cm), number of branches/ plant, fruiting zone (cm), seed yield/ plant (g), seed yield/ fed and oil percentage of canola cultivar (Serw 4) in the reclaimed land. K and SA separately or in combination at the rate of (6.0 cm-1 + 300 mg-1 SA) provided the best nutrition for enhancing resistance of plants against biotic and a biotic factors, consequently, enhancing vegetative growth and yield production during seasons of study 2013/’14 and 2014/’15.