Response of Snap Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to Soil Temperature and Phosphorus Fertilization on Five Western Oregon Soils

Abstract

AbstractDry weight and P content of snap bean plants were determined for 2 levels of P fertilizer on 5 western Oregon soils at soil temperatures of 54, 62, 70, and 78 F. “A” values for P were also calculated.Significant differences in dry weights and P content were found when means of soil temperature (T), P levels (P), and soils (S) were compared. The interactions of S × P, S × T, P × T, and S × P × T were also significant. Dry weights and P content were increased significantly as soil temperatures were increased from 54 to 78 F. Generally, the largest increment of increase in dry weights occurred when soil temperature was increased from 54 to 62 F, while the largest percentage increase in P content of plants was found when soil temperature was increased from 62 to 70 F. Smallest increases in dry weights and P content associated with P fertilization were at 54 F and on soils highest in available P. Percentage of P in plants on the 5 soils (temperatures and P levels combined) ranked in the same order as initial soil analysis values for P and was as follows: Labish Peat, Willamette, Chehalis, Olympic, and Quillayute. “A” values were affected by soil temperatures and were usually highest at 78 F.