Growth and yield responses of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to blended fertilizer under hot submoist tropical conditions in southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

A suitable fertilizer level plays a decisive role in crop production in various environments. A split-plot experiment was conducted under a hot submoist tropical environment (HSMTE) in southwestern Ethiopia to determine the effect of cultivar (Awash-2, Goberasha, Nasir, and local) and the nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, and boron (NPSB) blended fertilizer rate (0, 50, 75, 100, 125, and 150 kg ha⁻¹) on the growth, yield components, and yield of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and to optimize the NPSB-blended fertilizer rate for common bean production in the HSMTE. Both cultivar and NPSB-blended fertilizer significantly affected most of the response variables, but their interaction affected only days to physiological maturity (DPM) and the leaf area index (LAI). Nasir had a longer plant with a greater number of pods per plant than did Goberasha and local and had a greater harvest index (HI) and grain yield (0.59 and 2828.0 kg ha^−1,, respectively) than did the other cultivars (0.51–0.56 and 1747.4–2278.1 kg ha⁻¹, respectively). Nasir also showed the greatest LAI (8.9) with the least DPM (74 days) for the 150 kg ha⁻¹ NPSB-blended fertilizer treatment. The growth, yield components, and yield were also greater for the 150 kg ha⁻¹ NPSB-blended fertilizer treatment than for the other treatments. These findings exhibit the importance of cultivar and NPSB-blended fertilizer in modifying the growth and crop performance of common bean in the HSMTE and a tailored fertilization strategy in enhancing crop productivity in challenging environments.