Effect of Different Sulphur Rates, Organic and Inorganic Nitrogen Fertilizers on Pea Plants

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out in the Research and Production Station, National Research Centre, Nubaria Site during the seasons of 2021 and 2022 to study the response of pea plants to sulphur addition (0, 200, and 400 Kg S/fed.) with organic (Nile compost) and/or inorganic (chemical) nitrogen fertilizers. The important results are as follows: The characteristics of pea plant growth as expressed by length, average leaf and stem numbers, as well as the fresh and dry weights of the plant, all of them had their peaks with the addition of sulphur at 400 kg/fed. The response of pigment content to the sulphur addition followed the same pattern of change as the plant growth. When comparing the chemical nitrogen fertilizer to the organic nitrogen source, all plant growth parameters as well as chlorophyll (a), (b), and carotenoids content recorded the highest significant values. The interaction treatments within sulphur and nitrogen sources showed that the most vigorous growth of plants and their highest pigment content resulted when plants received 400 kg of sulphur with mineral nitrogen fertilizer. With increasing sulphur addition rates, the highest weight of pods yield and green seeds of pea significantly increased. Mineral nitrogen sources caused an enhancement in total pod yield as compared to organic nitrogen. The elemental nutrition values (N, P, and K) exhibited higher values with mineral nitrogen fertilizer, but Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu had no significant increase with organic nitrogen. The effect of sulphur as an individual and/or combined with nitrogen sources had a fluctuating effect on element concentrations.