Response of common bean to doubled rates of urea fertilizer under field conditions
Keywords:
Phaseolus vulgaris, common bean, nitrogen, urea, small-holder, fertilizerAbstract
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a leguminous vegetable cultivated mainly by small-holder farmers in some municipalities of Cuanza Sul province. The farming is limited in the municipality of Sumbe, which causes hikes in price. Urea (46%) is a nitrogen fertilizer supplied by the Ministry of Agriculture at a subsidised price to local farmers in each agricultural year to help meet production´s demand. Fertilization and production of common bean in Sumbe municipality is still a problem. However, the response of common bean to different rates of urea fertilizer is unknown at Boa-Venturança farm. An open field experiment was conducted during the dry season to determine the response of common bean to different rates of urea fertilizer. Seeds of butter bean were purchased from the local market and directly sown in the field at 0.80 m inter-row and 0.85 m intra-row spacing and fertilized manually. Five treatments, namely, 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 grams of urea fertilizer rates were arranged in a randomised complete block design, with 10 replications. At harvest, 90 days after fertilization, common bean response to urea fertilizer rates were in a density-dependent growth patterns with applications below nine(9) grams improving plant growth and yield, respectively. Response of common bean to doubled urea rates was in density-dependent pattern with lower rates three( 3) grams to six( 6) grams/plant improved measured plant variables and increased yield, while higher rates 9 g to 12 g/plant had a negative impact percentage. 6 g/plant was the best rate of urea, which increased yield by 76.3% translated to 88,2 kg/ha.
References
Amurrio, J.M., Rodino, A.P., Ron, A.M (2002). Variation in traits affecting nodulation of common bean under intercropping with maize and sole cropping. Euphytica, 122:243-255.
Azeen, B., Kusheari, K., Man, Z.B., Basit, A., Thanh, T.H. (2014). Review on materials and methods to produce controlled release coated urea fertilizer. Journal of Controlled Release, 181:11-21.
Bliss, F., Pereira, P., Araujo, R (1989). Registration of five high nitrogen fixing common bean germplasm lines. Crop Science, 29:240-241.
Baudoin, J.P., Camarena, F., Lobo, M (1997). Improving phaseolus genotypes for multiple cropping systems. Euphytica, 96:115-123.
Graham, P.H (2009). Soil biology with emphasis on symbiotic nitrogen fixation. In: Emerich, D.W., Krishnnan, H.B (eds) nitrogen fixation in crop production. Crop Science Society of America, Madison, pp 171-209.
Moxley, J.C., Hume, D.J., Cosme, D.L (1986). N2 fixation and competitiveness of Rhizobium phescoli strains isolated from Ontario soils. Canadian Journal of Plant Sciences, 66:825-836.
Nahar, K., Pan, W (2015). Urea fertilization: effects on growth, nutrient uptake and root development of the biodiesel plant, castor bean (Ricinus communis L.). American Journal of Experimental Agriculture 5:320-335.
Pelinganga, O.M., Mphosi, M.S (2019). Optimum NPK fertilization requirements for Amaranthus hybridus leafy vegetable under greenhouse conditions. Research Crops Journal, 20:353-356.
Peoples, M.B., Hauggaard-Nielsen, H., Jensen, E.S (2009). The potential environmental benefits and risks derived from legumes in rotations. In: Emerich., Krishnnan, H.B (eds) nitrogen fixation in crop production. Crop Science Society of America, Madison, pp 349-385.
Steyn, A.G.W., Smit, C.F., Du Tiot, S.H.C., Strasheim, C (2003). Modern Statistics in Practice. Van schaik, Pretoria.
Usha, S.A, Uddin, F.M.J., Rahman, Md.R., and Akando, R.I. (2019). Influence of nitrogen and sulphur fertilization on the growth and yield performance of French bean. Journal of Pharmacology and Phytochemistry 8:1218-1223.
