Evaluation of using potassium and putressine (1, 4 diaminobutane dihydrochloride) to alleviatethe negative effects on sorghum plants (Sorghum bicolor L) irrigated with different irrigation water.

A. F. H. Bkhit, * M. E. Ali, ** O. H. M. El-Husseini, ** S. A. Ismail, ***

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in the north western part of Kom Osheem district, Tamiya Town, El- Fayoum Governorate, Egypt to study the possibility of using potassium foliar spray of (K2SO4) at rate of 1000 L∕ ha-1 twice after one month from sowing and at one month later and putressine (1,4 Diaminobutane dihydrochloride) foliar spray of 10 u M solution, The putressine was spraied in two equal doses, one dose after one month from the sorghum sowing and the second dose one month later at rate of 1000 L∕ ha-1., to mitigate the negative effect of irrigation with mixed water and drainage water on sorghum plants. Irrigation with the Nile fresh water was used for comparison. Soil pH, EC, soluble cations both soluble sulphate and chloride and SAR significantly increased due to using mixed or drainage water. Higher values of plant height, dry weight/plant, weight of grains/panicle, 1000-grain weight and both grain and stalk yields, as will as N, P, K, Ca and K/Na ratio in sorghum leaves and grains were recorded for the plants irrigated with the Nile fresh water or supplied with potassium and/or putressine. Plants irrigated with drainage water without potassium or putressine recorded the lowest values, except for the 1000-grain weight which was not affected by putressine. Effect of putressine was more pronounced under mixed or drainage water. The treatment of using mixed water + potassium + putressine resulted in sorghum yield almost equal to that irrigated with the Nile fresh water. Foliar spraying with potassium and putressine might mitigate the adverse effect of using saline water for irrigation.

Key words

Sorghum, water quality, potassium, putressine, growth parameters, yield and its components and nutrient status.