Sowing date as a determining factor for Roselle, Hibiscus sabdariffa, production: I. Effect on vegetative and yield components

El-Sagher, Mostafa M. A.; Mostafa, Gehan G.; El-Ghadban, El-Mowafy A.; Soliman, Wagdi Saber; Gahory, Abd-Allah

doi:10.21608/aujst.2024.337887

Sowing date as a determining factor for Roselle, Hibiscus sabdariffa, production: I. Effect on vegetative and yield components

Document Type : Original papers

Authors

¹ Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Aswan University, Egypt.

² Department of Horticulture (Ornamental Plants), Faculty of Agriculture, Beni Suef University, Egypt

³ Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Aswan University

⁴ Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt

10.21608/aujst.2024.337887

Abstract

Roselle holds a crucial role in both the pharmaceutical and food sectors, underscoring its economic and cultural significance. Given the global challenges to face climate change, determining the optimal sowing date for Roselle crop has become pivotal in agricultural practices. This study aimed to investigate the impact of planting dates on the morpho-physiological traits and productivity of Roselle in the newly reclaimed soil of Aswan governorate. Four planting dates were employed in the experiment; April 15^th, April 30^th, May 15^th, and May 30^th. The varying sowing date resulted in noteworthy differences in growth parameters, including plant height, stem diameter, number of branches and fruits per plant, shoot fresh and dry weights, as well as yield parameters including calyxes’ fresh and dry yield and seeds’ fresh and dry weights. Analysis of variance revealed that planting on May 15^th consistently yielded higher values across vegetative traits. The observed growth performance during mid-May could be attributed to favorable conditions for plant development during this period. The planting on May 15^th also demonstrated superior performance in terms of calyxes' fresh and dry yield and seeds’ fresh and dry weights. The results of this study suggest that this positive effect might be influenced by environmental conditions, particularly temperature and day length. Conclusively, the study emphasizes that planting on May 15^th significantly enhanced the economic yield of Roselle, manifested through improved plant growth and increased fruit quantity per plant.

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