Impacts of Phosphorus as Soil Application on Growth, Yield and some Chemical Constitutes of Common Bean Plants Grown under Saline Soil Conditions

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the impact of calcium superphosphate (P; 0, 100, and 200 kg per feddan) as soil amendments, in addition to the recommended P, on the growth traits, green and dry yields characteristics, leaf photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence, and leaf contents of nutrients of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., cv. “Bronco”) plants grown under saline soil conditions. Two field trials were conducted at the Experimental Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University during the 2016 and 2017 summer seasons. The obtained results showed that, Na+ content was significantly declined, while the all other tested parameters such as growth characteristics (i.e., shoot length, number of leaves per plant, area of leaves per plant, and shoot fresh and dry weights), yield characteristics of green pods and dry seeds (i.e., average pod weight, number of pods per plant, pods weight per plant, dry seed weight per plant and 100-seed weight), leaf photosynthetic pigments (i.e., total chlorophylls, total carotenoids) contents and leaf chlorophyll fluorescence (i.e., Fv/Fm and PI), leaf contents of N, P, K+, and Ca2+, and the ratios of K+/Na+, Ca2+/Na+ and K++Ca2+/Na+ were significantly increased by the two tested P treatments compared to the controls (without more P than the recommended). The all tested treatments conferred, approximately, the same results. Therefore, results of this study recommend using P at 100 kg per feddan above the recommended dose to optimize the common bean performance in saline soils.