Suitable Spacing and Phosphorus Application Rate for Shero-Type Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Production on Acidic Nitisols in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia

Abstract

Field pea is among the leading pulse crops grown in the highlands of Ethiopia in area coverage and productivity, although its productivity is far below its potential due to several production constraints, including optimum fertilizer and spacing recommendations. A field experiment was conducted to refine and/or determine the economically optimum spacing and phosphorus level for Shero-type field pea production on Nitisols at Holeta in 2021 and 2022. A 2*2*3 complete factorial combination of intra-row spacing (5 and 10 cm), inter-row spacing (20 and 30 cm), and phosphorus fertilizer (0, 23, 46, 69, and 92 kg P2O5/ha) was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. P2O5 fertilizer and intra-row spacing main effects showed significant (p<0.05) effects on most of the studied parameters, while inter-row spacing main effects showed significant (p<0.05) effects only on hundred seed weight. The agronomic efficiency of P was highest at 46 kg P2O5/ha followed by 69 kg P2O5/ha over the non-fertilizer-applied treatment. Depending on the ANOVA and economic analysis results, the use of 69 kg P2O5/ha in combination with 10 cm intra-row spacing and 30 cm inter-row spacing (with a matching seed rate of about 73 kg/ha) was found to be optimum for row planting of Shero-type field pea on nitisols in Wolmera district and similar areas.