Effect of Different Soil Amendments and Biofertilizers on Pisum sativum L. in Sandy Soil
Amany M. Hammad
Department of Microbiology, Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
Mona F. Ghazal *
Department of Microbiology, Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
Gehan M. Salem
Department of Microbiology, Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
Reda S. Metwaly
Department of Vegatables Research, Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
Manal H. El Mahdy
Department of Sandy and Calcareous Research, Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Two successive field experiments were conducted out at Ismailia Agricultural Research Center Station experimental farm (Latitude 30ᵒ 35′ 41.901″ N and Longitude 32ᵒ 16′ 45. 843″E) to study the effect of cyanobacterial to investigate the influence of several biofertilizers (Anabaena variabilis, Azollae), some soil amendments (feldspar, bentonite, zeolite) and their combines on pea plant (Pisum sativum L.) type Super 2, during the winter seasons of 2022/2023 and 2023/2024. The results demonstrated that all treatments increased all growth parameters, although mixing treatments outperformed single treatments. The treatment Azollae mixed with feldspar soil amendments produced the most significant growth characteristics, including plant height, plant dry weight, total chlorophyll, number of leaves, number of pods, pod length, pod diameter, number of seeds on pod, pod fresh weight, pod dry weight,100 seeds fresh weight ,100 seeds dry weight and total green pod yield (tons fed-1). It also has the greatest NPK content and uptake in plant and grains as well as carbohydrates, proteins contents in grain. Following that, Azollae was combined with each of zeolite or bentonite, and Anabaena variabilis was mixed with each soil amendments in both seasons. Soil analysis follows the same pattern as plant analysis, with treatments of Azollae mixed with each of the soil amendments yielding the highest significant values of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) and dehydrogenase enzyme activity in soil in both seasons, followed by Anabaena variabilis mixed with each soil amendments. Single treatments of Azollae and Anabaena variabilis resulted in higher plant and soil analysis than single soil amendments feldspar, bentonite, and zeolite, while the control treatment yielded the lowest results in both seasons. Therefore, the recommendation from this study is that employing a single soil conditioner with Azollae, or Anabaena variabilis as a biofertilizer increased pea plants more than a single application of either.
Keywords: Pea plant (Pisum sativum), Anabeana varibilis azollae, soil amendments, bentonite, feldspar, zeolite