Phosphorus Supply and Phaseolus vulgaris Performance Grown in Shambat Clayalkaline Soil and Influenced by Farmyard Manure

Abstract

Crop productivity of eroded lands is poor due to removal of top fertile soil losing organic matter and plant nutrients. Crop productivity of such exhausted lands needs to be restored in order to meet the food requirements of increasing population. A field experiment was conducted in the Experimental Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum at Shambat, in order to study the response of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to phosphorus as influenced by farmyard manure (FYM). The treatments consisted of two rates of FYM (0 and 2.5 ton ha-1) and five levels of phosphorus (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg P2O5 ha-1). The results showed that phosphorus application did not significantly affect various parameters examined and its effect was sometimes erratic and inconsistent. The possible mechanism of this effect and the implications of these observations in phosphorus nutrition of plants have been discussed. Farmyard manure application significantly affected soil organic matter and leaf phosphorus concentration. The significant interaction between the two factors under question was only observed for 1000 seed weight. The present study indicated the importance of future studies on common bean nutrition in order to elucidate certain aspects (e.g. nodulation) in heavy clay alkaline soils and the question of balanced nutrition.