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Abstract

Common bean is the most widely grown nutritious pulse in the world and is favored by small-scale farmers in Ethiopia to ensure food security. However, the crop yield is low due to the lesser availability of phosphorous (P) in soil caused by P fixation (formation of insoluble compounds due to reaction of P with other minerals), and use of mineral fertilizers at a rate less than recommended because they are unaffordable for the poor farmers. Thus, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different source of P on productivity of common bean and availability of P. An experiment with seven treatments including T1 = Recommended P (check) or TSP, T2 = Recommended FYM based on P equivalency, T3 = Recommended biochar based on P equivalency, T4 = 50% Recommended FYM based on P equivalency +50% Recommended P, T5 = 50% Recommended biochar based on P equivalency +50% Recommended P, T6 = 50% Recommended FYM +50% Recommended biochar both based on P equivalency, T7 = 33% Recommended FYM +33% Recommended biochar both based on P equivalency +33% Recommended P were laid out in completely randomized design with three replications. Results indicated that the highest shoot P uptake, and available P were obtained from T1 (TSP) and T3 (biochar) treated soils. The T3 gave the maximum root biomass (0.61 g) which was statistically at par with T5 (bioc + TSP) and T7 (bioc + FYM +TSP). Similarly, the highest yield per plant (6.55 g plant–1) was obtained from T5 which was resulted from higher shoot biomass (9.36 g), pod per plant (7), and 100-seed weight (24.33 g). However, the yield obtained from T5 was statistically in parity with T1, T3 and T7. It showed that farmers can use, as source of P, either only biochar, or combined mineral P and biochar, or combined mineral P, biochar, and farm yard manure, thereby they can cut the cost of mineral P fertilizer by 100%, or 50% or 66%, respectively.

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