Farmyard Manure Integrated with Triple Superphosphate for Improved Soil Conditions and Yield of Bio-Fortified Common Beans

Abstract

Increasing prices of fertilizers and low nutrient concentration in organic manure are highly contributing to poor soil conditions and increased yield gap of bio-fortified common beans.  A field study was carried out to assess the effect of farmyard manure integrated with triple superphosphate on soil conditions and yield of bio-fortified common bean Genotypes in central Uganda. The experiments were set in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) conducted at Mukono Zonal Agricultural Research Institute (MUZARDI) in two rainfall seasons. Treatments included; Cattle manure + TSP, Swine manure + TSP, Chicken manure + TSP, TSP alone and control replicated five times. Bio-fortified common bean genotypes studied were: Naro bean 1, Naro bean 3 and NABE16 a local check. Data was collected on; organic matter, soil pH, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus content, harvest index, number of pods, pod length, number of seeds per pod, weight of 100 seeds, and grain yield of bio-fortified common beans. Data was subjected to statistical test and analysis of variance using GenStat statistical package (15th edition). Results showed that amending field plots with Swine manure + TSP significantly increased Organic matter by; 1.51% and potassium 1.22% than Chicken manure + TSP, Cattle + TSP, TSP alone and a control respectively. Chicken manure + TSP increased soil pH and Nitrogen by 1.80 and 2.20% while, TSP alone improved Phosphorus by 5.2 PPM than other treatments. Yield parameters were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by treatments except weight of 100 seeds. However, bean genotypes grown in Swine manure + TSP recorded maximum yield of 14 pods, 4 seeds per pod, 32.93 g weight of 100seeds, grain yield was (1843 kgha-1) and lowest (1253 to 650 kg/ha) in TSP+ cattle manure and control. It was therefore, concluded that swine manure + TSP significantly improved soil conditions and yield of bio-fortified common beans. Therefore, basing on these findings, farmers should adopt amendment of swine manure with TSP for improved soil conditions and yields of Naro bean 1