Optimizing snap bean production under salt-affected soil via compost, selenium and cobalt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Soil, Water and Environment Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, El-Gama St., Giza, 12619, Egypt

2 Soil dept. Fac. of Agric Mansoura University , Mansoura . Egypt

Abstract

Snap beans are a valuable vegetable crop due to their high nutritional value, but their production can be challenging under salt-affected soil conditions, which can adversely affect their growth and productivity. To optimize snap bean production under this issue, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of various interventions on the growth performance and yield quality of two snap bean cultivars (Savana and Newten) grown on saline soil. The main factor was the selected cultivars, while compost soil addition at a rate of 8.0 ton ha-1 (applied or not) was evaluated as a sub main factor. Also, foliar applications of selenium (as sodium selenite, Na2SeO3, 45.56 %Se) and cobalt (cobalt sulphate, CoSO4, 36%Co), at rates of 0.0 and 5.0 mg L-1 for each one, were assessed as a sub-sub-plot factor. The Savana cultivar outperformed the newten cultivar in achieving maximum values for all performance traits expressing growth and productivity. Additionally, the addition of compost to soil led to an increase in some parameters e.g., dry foliage weight, chlorophyll, No. of pods plant-1, pods yield, protein and carbohydrates compared to plants grown without compost. On the other hand, the exogenous application of selenium was superior to the cobalt treatment, followed by the control treatment. Conversely, the need for antioxidants such as peroxidase and catalase decreased with savana cultivar plants treated with compost and selenium. The findings of this study can also be extended to other vegetable crops grown in saline conditions to enhance their productivity and nutritional quality.

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