Rates of Compost for Bush Snap Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) Production under Open Field

Abstract

The study was conducted at the open field of the Organic Demo Farm, Benguet State University, La Trinidad, Benguet from January 2016 to April 2016 to determine the effect of the different rates of compost on bush snap beans under open field; determine the effect of different rates of compost on some physical and chemical properties of the soil under open field; and to determine the economics of applying the different rates of compost on bush snap beans under open field. The different rates of compost studied were: 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 tons/ha BSU grower’s compost and 80 tons/ha farmer’s compost. Application of 80 tons/ha and 100 tons/ha BSU growers compost significantly gave the highest yield than those applied with 20, 40, 60 tons/ha compost including the 80 tons/ha farmers compost. As the rate of compost application increase the marketable yield per square meter and per plot also increases. The application of the different rates of compost significantly increased the water holding capacity, pH, organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content of the soil. But application of the different rates of compost gave low return on cash expense (ROCE %). Among the different rates, application of 20 tons/ha gave the higher ROCE.