Evaluation of Methods of Adding Chitosan and Potassium Silicate on Some Soil Fertility and Cowpea (Vigna ungiculata) Plant Productivity

Abstract

This work aims to evaluate two methods of chitosan and potassium silicate application in 10, 15, and 20 days water irrigation on soil fertility and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) productivit. A field experiment was conducted in saline soil located in Sahl El-Hossinia at El-Sharkia Governorate. The location lies between latitude 32° / 00 to 32° / 15, N and longitude 30° / 50 to 31° / 15 E. For two successive summer seasons 2021 and 2022 cultivated with Cowpea, to study the evaluation of two methods applied for chitosan and silicate potassium combined with or without mineral N fertilizers different rate on some soil fertility and cowpea productivity under irrigation water periods. The experiments were carried out in a split-plotdesign with three replicates. Results obtained that the decreases of soil pH and soil salinity, as well as the increase of available macro-micronutrients contents in soil as affected with potassium silicate foliar application combined with mineral N through intervals irrigation period 10 days compared to other treatments. the increase of plant height (cm), No. of pods/plant, No. of branches /plant, weight 100 seeds (g), weight pods (ton/fed), and seeds yield (ton/fed) with increasing mineral N fertilizer rate combined with potassium silicate foliar application under irrigation water interval 10 days compared with other treatments. Also, the highest mean values of N, P, Fe, Mn, and Zn concentrationsin seeds cowpea 4.16, 0.67, 9.20, 40.22 and 24.64 % respectively as affected with potassium silicate foliar application under irrigation water interval of 10 days than other treatments. From the previous results, we found that the method of foliar application of potassium silicate and chitosan under irrigation water at different periods has significant effects on all soil and plant characteristics compared to the soaking method.