INFLUENCE OF EXOGENOUSLY APPLIED AMINO ACIDS ON SOME GROWTH TRAITS AND YIELDS OF THREE WHEAT CULTIVARS (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.)

This field study examined the effect of various exogenously applied concentrations of amino acids on some local wheat varieties. The investigation was conducted using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates in a split-plot arrangement. The main plots contained amino acid concentrations of 0, 3.0, and 6.0 ml L-1 together with the Iba 99, Al- Rasheed, and Abu Ghraib-3 wheat cultivars in the subplots. The Al-Rasheed cultivar recorded the highest plant height, flag leaf area, spike length and 1000-grain weight with mean values of 111.06 cm2, 44.10 cm2, 14.50 cm2, and 45.00 g, respectively. The Abu Ghraib-3 cultivar had the highest mean number of spikes, grain numbers, grain yield and harvest index at 538.6 spikes m-2, 53.68 grains spike-1, 6.170 ton ha-1, and 35.22%, respectively. Amino acid concentrations significantly affected all growth and yield traits with the 3.0 ml L-1 concentration offering the highest mean value for plant height at 104.69 cm and 513.7 spikes m-2, with the quantity of grains in each spike at 49.98 grains spike-1, total grain yield of 6.023 tons ha-1, and a harvest index of 42.00%. The 6 ml L-1 concentration provided the highest average for flag leaf area, spike length, and 1000-grain weight at 41.89 cm2, 12.30 cm, and 42.00 g., respectively. There was a significant interaction effect between the Al-Rasheed cultivar at the 3 ml L-1 amino acid concentration in plant height and between the Abu Ghraib-3 cultivar in the number of spikes and harvest index. Also, there was an interaction between the Abu Ghraib-3 cultivar at the 6 ml L-1 amino acid concentration and number of seeds per spike