THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZER SOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL VARIATIONS ON DRYBEAN GRAIN YIELD AND QUALITY

Abstract

Drybean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a popular staple food crop in many households around the world. This study was carried out at three ecologically distinct locations in North-West, South Africa to assess the effect of phosphorus fertilizer source, cultivar and location on drybean grain yields and quality. The experiment was a 3×4×2 factorial experiments fitted into a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), with four replications. The three eexperimental sites were Mafikeng, Kraaipan and Taung. The four phosphorus fertilizer sources were the control, single superphosphate (SSP), mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP) and maxi phos. The two drybean cultivars used in this study were PAN 9292 and PAN 148. The yield and quality parameters that were measured included 100-grain mass, grain yield, field biomass yield, crude fiber, protein and starch content. Drybean field biomass was affected by the sources of phosphorus fertilizer (p ≤ 0.05). Drybean treated with MAP had a significantly higher field biomass. Sources of phosphorus fertilizer had a significant effect (p ≤ 0.05) on crude fiber content. The crude fiber content of drybean treated with SSP was significantly higher. Cultivar had a significant effect (p ≤ 0.05) on drybean field biomass. Cultivar PAN 148 had a significantly higher field biomass than cultivar PAN 9292. The protein content of PAN 9292 cultivar was significantly higher than of PAN 148. Phosphorus fertilizer source, mono-ammonium phosphate showed a positive respond on drybean field biomass yield. Drybean yield and grain quality are affected by different climatic and environmental factors of locations.