INFLUENCE OF POULTRY MANURE AND POTASSIUM ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF SUNFLOWER GROWN UNDER WATER STRESS CONDITIONS

A field experiment was conducted at the Research and Production Station of the National Research Center in Nubaria District, Beheira Governorate, Egypt, during the 2020 /2021 to study the effect of organic (Poultry Manure) and inorganic fertilizers (Potassium Nitrate) on sunflower growth parameters under water stress conditions. The soil application of Poultry manure (0, 2, 4, 6 ton fed-1) occupied the main plots and potassium nitrate treatments applied as a foliar spray at the rates (0, 1, 2 and 3%) randomly distributed in the sub-plots. Results showed that the increase in poultry manure rates was accompanied by significant increase in chlorophyll content, relative water content and total leaf Area. Data indicated that the maximum values of the proline content were registered for the control treatment and the minimum values recorded with the application of 6-ton poultry manure fed-1 combined with 3.0% KNO3 foliar spray under sufficient and deficit irrigation treatments. Results indicated that increasing poultry manure rates was associated with significant increase of sunflower plant height, head weight, head diameter, 100 seed weight and grain yield of sunflower. Results indicated that the highest values of growth and yield parameters of sunflower were attained by application of 6.0 ton fed-1 poultry manure with a foliar spray KNO3 at a rate of 3.0% under water stress condition.