Influence Of Low Gamma Irradiation Doses And Weed Control On Faba Bean (Vicia F ABA L.) Yield And Yield Attributes

Two field experiments were carried out in an administration field at Belbees district, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, during two successive winter seasons (2007/08 – 2008/09). The study aimed to investigate the effect of four gamma irradiation doses (un irradiated seeds as a control, 10, 20 and 30 Gy) and five treatments of weed management practices 1- Un weeded (control), 2-Two hand hoeings at 21 and 42 days after sowing, 3-Prometryn, commercially known as Giza gared, sprayed at pre-emergence with rate of 1 kg/ 300 liters/fad. 4- Bentazon 48%, commercially known as Basagran 48%, sprayed at pre-emergence with the rate of 500 cm³/200 liters water/fad. sprayed at pre-emergence. 5- both herbicides, Prometryn, sprayed at pre-emergence with the rate of 1 kg/ 300 liters/fad. + Bentazon 48% sprayed at pre-emergence with the rate of 500 cm³/ 200 liters water/fad., on yield and yield attributes of faba bean. Results indicate that: 1- Gamma irradiation with the lowest dose of 10 Gy, gave high values for plant height (112.54 cm) and number of pods/plant (12.22), while the highest gamma irradiation dose of 30 Gy, resulted in high values for number of seeds/pod (4.52), number of seeds/plant (52.3), seed weight(g)/plant, 100-seeds weight (79.79 g), seed yield (11.39 ardab/fad.) and straw yield (ton/fad.). The lowest values for each of the aforementioned traits were obtained in non irradiated treatment in the combined analysis, 2-Weed control by hand hoeing twice (after 21 and 42 DAS) gave the highest values for each of the aforementioned traits, followed by spraying both herbicides, Prometryn + Bentazon 48%, followed by sole herbicide Bentazon 48% and sole Prometryn, while un weeded treatment gave the lowest values for the respective order, in the combined analysis