Nano P fertilization and nano Fe foliar spray were assessed for their effect on productivity of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) grown on a light clay soil in Meet-Halfa, Qalubiya governorate, Egypt in a factorial randomized complete block field experiment involving two factors : 1-P application with 5 treatments: P0,P1,P2,P3 and P4 i.e. none, 20 kg P ha-1 (as triple super phosphate TSP), 40 kg P ha-1(as TSP), 20 kg P ha-1(as nano-hydroxyapatite HANP) and 40 kg P ha-1(as HANP) respectively; 2-Fe foliar spray with 4 treatments: Fe0, Fe1, Fe2 and Fe3 i.e. none, 150 mg Fe L-1 (as nano iron oxide Fe3O4), 300 mg Fe L-1 (as nano Fe3O4) and 300 mg Fe L-1 (as Fe-EDTA) respectively. Rate of spray was 1200 L ha-1. At either low or high rate, nano P, was more effective than non-nano P in increasing plant height and number of pods. For seed yield and N, P and Fe uptake by seeds at the same rate of P, the high rate of nano-P gave higher values than the high rate of TSP-P. Though the low rate of nano-P ranked third next to the high rate of TSP-P, the difference between the low rate of nano-P and the high rate of TSP-P was slight. Nano iron in both rates (the high and the low) was the most effective iron treatment. It increased the values of different parameters at low and high doses as follows: 11.8 and 20.1% for seed yield respectively. Respective increases for other traits are 25.6 and 35.5% for plant height; 21.8 and 36.9% for number of pods, 16.2 and 32.4%for N uptake ;15.7 and 31.0% for P uptake and 45.4 and 70.13% for Fe uptake. |
