Integrated Acid Soil Management for Growth, Nodulation, and Nutrient Uptake of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) in Lay Gayint District, Northwestern Highlands of Ethiopia

Abstract

Soil acidity is one of the forms of soil degradation affecting sustainable crop production adversely in the Ethiopian highlands. In order to contribute to soil acidity amelioration and crop productivity improvement on acid soils, an experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of lime, mineral P, FYM, compost, and rhizobium on growth, nodulation, and nutrient uptake of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) in cultivated acid soil under greenhouse conditions. Twenty treatments were tested in isolations as well as suitable combinations. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. The results showed that application of 8 t FYM·ha−1 + 30 kg P·ha−1 + 5 t lime·ha−1 produced significantly (P<0.001) higher plant height (58.67 cm), number of branches (13.78) and leaves per plant (37.11), shoot dry weight (5.14 g per plant), tissue N (3.83%) and P (0.219) contents and uptakes, and soil N (0.28%) and P (7.61 mg·Kg−1) after harvest. However, significant increases (P<0.001) in nodule number (153.33) and nodule dry weight (131.33 mg per plant) were obtained due to application of 4 t FYM·ha−1 + 15 kg P·ha−1 + 10 t lime·ha−1. The increased above-ground biomass, and nodulation could be due reducing soil acidity, and the supply of N, P, and other nutrients in FYM through mineralization. Therefore, combined use of lime, FYM, and P fertilizers could improve the growth characteristics, nodulation, and nutrient uptake of faba bean in acid soil of Lay Gayint district. However, the treatments should be tested in the field to verify the greenhouse results.