Effect of spraying with Nano-Silicon, Irrigation Intervals and Cultivars, and Their Interactions on Some Growth Traits of Soybean (Glycine max L.)

Abstract

The purpose of the field experiment was to examine the influence of spraying with Nano-Silicon, irrigation frequency, cultivars, and their interaction on some vegetative growth characteristics of soybean(Glycine max L.) under the conditions of agriculture season  2024 in one of the experimental fields of Al-Musaib Mashrue, Babylon Government, Iraq.  There were three levels of Nano-Silicon (0, 2, and 4 ml L -1), three irrigation periods (6, 8 and 10 days), and three cultivars of soybean (Shaimaa, Warka and Rami). It was a three-replication split-split plot design of a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The results showed that ,spraying with 4 ml L⁻¹ of Nano-Silicon significantly increased plant height (139.04 cm plant⁻¹), number of branches (10.22 branches plant⁻¹), and leaf area (119.35 cm² plant⁻¹), compared to the control treatment (spraying with distilled water). Among cultivars, Shaimaa exceed Warka and Rami, recording the highest averages for most studied traits. Regarding irrigation intervals, irrigation every 6 days gave the highest means of plant height, number of branches, and leaf area compared to 8- and 10-day intervals. The interaction between Shaimaa cultivar, spraying with 4 ml L⁻¹ of Nano-Silicon, and irrigation every 6 days achieved the highest values for all traits under study, indicating the importance of integrating Nano-Silicon spraying with proper irrigation management and cultivar selection to improve soybean growth performance under local conditions.