Evaluation of Hyk® foliar fertilizer on growth, yield and quality of French Beans (cv. Organdi)
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Date
2014
Authors
Ignatius, S.
Mwangi, M.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are a major vegetable export crop in Kenya and a
significant income earner to small scale farmers. French beans are grown for processing,
including canning and freezing, and demand is steadily increasing. Poor growth vigor is one of
the factors that hinder the realization of high yields and pods of high quality. There is therefore
need to develop/ identify new products to increase productivity. The objective of this study was
to evaluate a newly introduced concentrated inorganic formulation (Hyk®), for its effect on
growth vigor, yield and quality of French bean variety Organdi. Hyk® was applied to the plants
at different stages of plant growth in Kirinyaga and Murang’a Counties and evaluated against the
commonly used foliar fertilizers Nitro spray® and Calmabon®. The study was laid out in
complete randomized design and was replicated three times. Data was collected at 50%
flowering and included number of flowers, height of the plant, length and width of the leaves.
The Hyk® treated plants had a higher growth rate attaining an average height of 39 cm compared
to the control’s 37 cm. Hyk® treated plants also had improved yield and quality of the pods,
producing over twice the yield of the control treatments. Cost benefit analysis showed that
application of Hyk® to French beans yielded a positive net return. The results show that Hyk®
foliar fertilizer can be recommended for use in French bean production.
Key words: Hyk®, French beans, foliar fertilizer, flowering
Description
A paper presented during a Conference on Bridging the Gap between Society, Science And Industry held at Kenyatta University, Nairobi- Kenya between 1st – 5th December, 2014
Incorporating: 1st Ku School of Agriculture Biennial International Conference ,1st African Green Revolution Students Conference 14th Workshop on Sustainable Horticulture in the Tropics
Keywords
Hyk®, French beans, Foliar fertilizer, Flowering