EFFECT OF SOWING DATE AND SEEDING RATE ON FORAGE AND SEED PRODUCTIVITY OF FAHL BERSEEM (Trifolium alexandrinum L.)

Abstract

under various seeding rates (20, 25 and 30 kg/fad.) for green forage productivity and seed yields of fahl berseem. The experiments were distributed a randomized complete block in a spilt plot array with three replicates. Results showed that sowing dates had significantly affected on fresh, dry forage yields, plant height, No. of branches/plant, fresh and dry leaf/ stem ratio, protein and fiber percentage during the two seasons and over two seasons. Maximum values for these traits had recorded for sowing date on 1 st October meanwhile, the minimum values were obtained with sowing date 1 st December except fiber (%) which was the highest value but it was the lowest at sowing date 1 st October. The highest values prior traits were at seeding rate 30 kg fad -1 except fiber (%), which it had the best value with seeding rate 20 kg fad -1 in both seasons and over two seasons. The interaction effect between sowing dates and seeding rates had highly significant different for dry forage yield and insignificant for the rest of the other traits. Sowing dates and seeding rates recorded highly significant effect for seed yield and its components in fahl berseem in both seasons and over the two seasons. The highest No. of branches/plant, No. of heads/plant, No. of flowers/head, No. of seeds/head, seed setting, 1000 seed weight, seed yield and straw weight were the results of the interaction between sowing date 15 th November and seeding rate 12 kg fad. -1 except seed yield had the highest at the seeding rate 15 kg fad. -1 and straw at the seeding rate 18 kg fad. -1 for both seasons and over the two seasons. The interaction effect among sowing dates and seeding rates had insignificant for seed yield and it's components. The best treatments for fresh forage yield of fahl were sowing date 1 st October and seeding rate 30 kg fad. -1 and for seed yield was sowing date 15 th November and seeding rate 15 kg fad -1 at Sohag Governorate.