Two field experiments were conducted during 2005/06 and 2006/07 winter seasons at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Egypt to investigate the performance of three cultivars of faba bean (Misr 1, Giza 843, and Sakha 2) under some broomrape control treatments and their effects on yield and its components of faba bean. Orbanche control treatments were: glyphosate 36 g a.i. applied once or twice; imazapic 20 g a.i. applied once or twice; in addition to hand pulling and weedy check.
Results indicated that faba bean Misr 1 variety decreased number of broomrape spikes/m² by 42.89 and 27.38%; weight of broomrape spikes/m² by 20.43 and 20.17%; spikes length by 19.94 and 19.68% and number of capsules/spikes by 28.5 and 42.65 %, respectively during 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons. Faba bean variety Misr 1 recorded the highest values of yield and its component characters, followed by faba bean Giza 843 variety as compared to faba bean Sakha 2 variety during both seasons. Also, data revealed that all weed control treatment significantly decreased broomrape infestation parameters and increased crop yield and its components, significantly in both seasons.
Ressults revealed that all broomrape control treatments gave highly significant increase in seed yield ( ardab/ fed ), the highest values was obtained from imazapic (twice) and hand pulling (twice), followed by imazapic (once), glyphosate (twice) and glyphosate (once) by 106.93, 99.01, 82.83, 70.96 and 41.58% in the first season, and by 101.27, 94.62. 91.77, 63.29 and 37.03% in second season, respectively.
The interaction between varieties and weed control treatments exerted a significant impact on broomrape infestation characters in both seasons, and this reflected on faba bean yield and its components. These results indicate that under heavy invested soil with broomrape, it is possible to grow tolerant cultivars (Misr 1 and Giza 843) with the application of herbicides i.e imazapic or glyphosate (twice). These practices gave the highest reduction in broomrape injury and increased faba bean yield and its components.