Yield and Growth of Common Bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Varieties as Influenced by Lime and Phosphorus Under Acid Soil Toxicity of South Western Ethiopia

Acidic soils limit the productive potential of crops because of low availability of basic cations and excess of hydrogen and aluminium in exchangeable forms. At the study area, soil acidity is a well-known problem limiting crop productivity. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify common bean variety that tolerate acid soil or low pH soil. Fifteen (15) common bean variety were grown in split plot design under four soil amendments (limed alone, phosphorus alone, both lime and phosphorus treated, and no any amendment) with three replications at three locations in Western and South Western Ethiopia. Data on growth and yield were collected and analyzed using SAS version 9.3 software. Treatment means were compared at 5% level of significance using List significant Different. The results revealed that variety X amendments X locations X seasons interactions were significant (p<0.01) for both grain yield and plant height. Availability of varietal difference among common bean varieties under both amended and unamended acid soil conditions was observed. The highest grain yield (1.043 t/ha) under control soil conditions obtained from this result is still below the national average (1.59t/ha), but more than the national average under lime and phosphorus treated plots (1.989t/ha), which shows that the selected variety is responded to lime and phosphorus than tolerant to acid soil. SER 119 variety is selected for those farmers who have the capacity to apply lime with phosphorus based on the yield performance at both locations and also this variety is included in the future work of further selection trials. However, further study is required including considering additional genotypes, at least for three or four years to determine the residual effect of phosphorus and lime to reach at a conclusive recommendation.