EFFECT OF ORGANIC MANURES AND PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZER ON FABA BEAN PLANT AND SOME PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SANDY AND ALLUVIAL CLAY SOILS

Two field experiments were carried out during the two winter growing seasons of 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 at the South Tahrir. Agric. Res. Station, (ARC), Ali Moubark village, El-Bustan Region, El-Behira Governorate (Sandy soil) and Abo El-Ghar village, Kafer El-Zayat District, Gharbia Governorate (alluvial clay soil) to study the effect of organic manures (farmyard manure and chicken manure) applied at a rate of 30 m³/fed and phosphorus fertilizer at rates of 0, 15 and 30 kg P₂O₅/fed on faba bean crop and some physical properties of the soils under investigation.
The obtained results could be summarized as follows:
- All faba bean characteristics (number of seeds/plant, seeds weight/plant and               100-seeds weight), seeds and straw yields and mineral compositions of seed and straw were significantly increased due to the application of organic manures compared to the control. Application of chicken manure induced the superior treatment.
- Raising the phosphorus application rates gradually increased the quantity and quality of faba bean yield.
- Application of chicken manure combined with the high rate of P-fertilizer produced the highest faba bean yield.
- Alluvial clay soil was the best soil for cultivating faba bean and to achieve the highest yield compared to sandy soil.
- Application of organic manures improved the physical soil properties (bulk density, total porosity and hydraulic conductivity), reduced the bulk density values and increased the total porosity % in both sandy and alluvial clay soils. For hydraulic conductivity, the values were increased with the application of organic fertilizers compared to the control in alluvial clay soil. On the contrary, the hydraulic conductivity values were decreased due to the use of fertilizers compared to the control in sandy soil. Application of the chicken manure gave the best results.
- Finally, it could be concluded that the application of chicken manure at a rate of 30 m³/fed combined with 30 kg P₂O₅/fed in both tested sandy and alluvial clay soils gave the best quantity and quality of faba bean crop and improved physical soil properties.