Snap Bean Plant Responses to Sources and Rates of Nitrogen and Potassium Fertilizers

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the responses of ‘Bush Blue Lake-47’ snap bean plants [Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) var. humilis] to urea, (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , NH 4 NO 3 , and Ca(NO 3 ) 2 sources of N fertilizers at rates of 0, 4, 8, or 12 g of N/m 2 and to KCl and K 2 SO 4 fertilizers at 5 g K/m 2 . Dry weight of the plants was determined at the seedling, bloom, and harvest stages. Blades of recently fully expanded leaves at the bloom stage were analyzed for total N, NO 3 -N, Cl, S, B, P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn, Fe, and Cu. Snap bean plants grown with (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 had the highest dry weight per plant and the highest yield of pods, followed by plants grown with NH 4 NO 3 . Plants grown with Ca(NO 3 ) 2 or urea had the lowest dry weight per plant and the lowest yield of pods, especially at the highest rate of N fertilizers.