Production of Snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under Organic Farming in River Nile State

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted during 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 seasons, in River Nile State. The main objectives were to study the effect organic fertilizers on productivity and quality of snap bean variety, Paulista. The experiments were carried out in three locations with different soil types. Alluvial “gezira", higher terrace and low terrace. The Variety Paulista was subjected in a primary experiment to different animal manures (chicken and cattle) and three strains of rhizobium. Based in the results of the primary experiment, the main experiments were designed to evaluate 12, 15, 18 m3 (cattle and chicken manure) as well as chemical (N and P) and zero control in three sites (Gezira, low terrace and high terrace). Parameters recorded included; total green pods yield (ton/ha), number of pods/m2, pod diameter(mm), pod length (cm), number of seeds per pod, plant height (cm), number of days to 50% flowering, soil analysis, tissue analysis, number of nodules per plant and weight of nodules per plant. Results showed considerable variation among different fertilizers. Gezira site results showed significant differences among different fertilizers on number of pods in both seasons. 12 and 15m3 chicken manure increased on number of pods (1898, 1728) for the first season and (1767, 1687) for the second season, respectively. In both seasons 12 and 15m3 chicken manure increased yield (26.1, 25.7ton/ha) for the first season and (27.8, 24.4 ton/ha) for both seasons, respectively. The results revealed that there were marked differences in low terrace site among different fertilizers on number of pods per plant, the highest number of pods obtained from all levels of chicken manure (1639, 1610, 1268) for the first season and (1643, 1431, 1290) for the second season, respectively and cattle (18m3) gave(1401, 1197) in both seasons. Equally, the highest numbers of pods were obtained from the chemical fertilizer (N, P) (1578). In both seasons the treatment supplemented with 15 and 12m3 chicken manure resulted in high yields (19.8 and 21.8 ton/ha) for the first season and (22.5and 23.7 ix ton/ha) for the second season, respectively. The results at high terrace experiment showed and highest number of pods from 15m3 chicken manure (1115and 1239) and chemical fertilizer (1249 and 1247) in both seasons, respectively. 15m3 gave high yields (15.8 and 16.9 ton/ha) and the chemical fertilizers resulted (17.4 and 17 ton/ha) for both seasons, respectively