{Influence of compost rates and application time on growth, yield and chemical composition of snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L)}

A field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Experimental and Research Station,
Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt in the two summer successive seasons 2008 and
2009. The present work aims to study the response of snap bean to different rates of compost and time
of application in comparison with two different sources of inorganic fertilizers. The experiment
included 8 treatments, the recommended mineral fertilizer (MF) as a control, Natural fertilizer (NF),
i.e. 4, 6 and 8 tons of compost were applied once through soil preparation (O). 4, 6 and 8 tons of
compost were applied at two equal splits at soil preparation and 30 days after sowing (S). The same
rate of (N: P: K (50:45:60) kg/fed.) was applied either in MF or NF treatment. The N source in both
treatments was ammonium sulfate, super phosphate (P) and potassium sulfate (K) in MF treatment.
Phosphate rock (P) and natural potassium (K) in NF treatment. Results showed that MF, NF, 4 tons
compost O and 4 tons compost S treatments produced significantly taller plants in combined over
seasons. The highest value of plant height was obtained by the MF treatment. The lowest compost
rate (4 tons/fed.) S surpassed all treatments in early yield of snap beans pods. The both recommended
mineral fertilizer and 4 tons splitting of compost significantly yielded the highest total yield. The
compost treatments applied at two equal splits of the three different rates produced higher early yield
and total yield in comparison with the corresponded rates added once in combined over seasons.
Meanwhile, No significant differences were detected between all treatments for pod length, pod
weight and number of branches per plant. The plant treated with 4t/fed. organic fertilizer had the
highest NPK percentage compared to 6 and 8 t/fed. The plants treated by 8 tons compost O possessed
the highest values of leaves total chlorophyll.