Effect of harvesting times on pod set, pod size and seed characteristics of four okra cultivars

Effect of harvesting times on pod set, pod size and seed characteristics of four okra cultivars.

Okra seed hardness results in slow and un-uniform germination. This study was conducted to determine the effects of time of harvest on pod and seed characteristics of four different cultivars of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.). The study was carried out at farm of Agroland Company in Greece in 2019 and 2020. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with a factorial arrangement with three replications. Four different cultivars of okra contain, Boyiatiou, Veloudo, Clemsson and Pileas and six harvesting times of 20-25-30-35-40 and 50 days were considered in this study. Result showed that In both years in Boyiatiou, Veloudo and Pileas by increasing time of harvest from first (harvesting pods 20 days after flowering) to fifth (harvesting pods 40 days after flowering) time of harvest percentage of seed germinating increased and after that in sixth time of harvest (harvesting pods 50 days after flowering) decreased. Most seed hardness was created in Boyiatiou variety, sixth harvesting time (harvesting pods 50 days after flowering), but in this case seeds that harvested in 2019 sowing time produced more seed hardeness than seeds harvested in 2020 sowing time. The highest and lowest number of flower per plant was belong to Clemson variety, fourth harvesting times (harvesting pods 35 days after flowering) with 26.3 flower per plant in 2019 sowing time and Boyiatiou variety, second harvesting times (harvesting pods 25 days after flowering) with 9.6 flower per plant in 2020 sowing time, respectively. In general, the number of pods per plant in all varieties except Boyiatiou variety in 2020 sowing time was higher than 2019 sowing time. Study the effect of pod length affected by harvesting times showed that in both years of experiment Boyiatiou and Clemson varieties produced highest and lowest pod length than other varieties, respectively. Almost in all varieties pods from 2019 sowing time produced higher diameter than 2020 sowing time. Clemson variety in both years of experiment produced the same pod diameter. Clemson variety with average of 101.7 and Boyiatiou variety with 67.5 seeds per pod produced the highest and lowest number of seed per pod, respectively. In all harvesting times seeds from 2019 sowing time produced higher 100 seed weight than 2020 sowing time.