Effect of organic fertilizers on yield and growth indices of forage pea (Pisum arvense L.) under drought stress and supplementary irrigation conditions

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 M.Sc. Gratuate of Agronomy, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

2 Professor, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Production Engineering and Plant Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran

10.22077/escs.2025.7704.2293

Abstract

Introduction
Drought is one of the most severe environmental stresses affecting plant productivity. Drought stress disrupts molecular, biochemical, physiological, and morphological processes, as well as plant performance and quality (Ortiz et al., 2015). Supplemental irrigation is an effective strategy to mitigate water stress, improve water-use efficiency, reduce yield loss, and support sustainable production in arid and semi-arid regions. In general, supplemental irrigation significantly enhances the effectiveness of improved cultivars, chemical fertilizers, and herbicides (Tadayon and Emam, 2008). Long-term use of chemical fertilizers has negative consequences on the soil, ecosystems, and human health. Therefore, biological and organic fertilizers are increasingly used as alternatives to chemical fertilizers in sustainable agriculture. Vermicompost, produced by earthworms decomposing organic wastes such as animal manure and plant residues, has high porosity, good aeration, and high water-holding capacity. It also provides essential nutrients for plant growth (Arancon et al., 2004). Animal manure is another type of organic fertilizer that increases soil organic matter, enhances microbial activity, improves soil structure, enriches the plant nutrient supply, increases humus content, and enhances nutrient absorption (Albiach et al., 2001; Hamedi et al., 2022). Forage pea is one of the oldest crops in the world, an annual plant belonging to the Fabaceae family and the Papilionaceae subfamily, and an important crop for forage production (Bishnoi et al., 2021). The importance of leguminous plants lies in their essential role in providing the required forage and nitrogen supply. Considering the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and the problems associated with them, there is a need to replace part of these fertilizers with non-chemical, particularly organic, alternatives. Moreover, few studies have investigated the effects of applying organic fertilizer and providing supplemental irrigation on forage pea growth and performance, which prompted the present study.
 
Materials and methods
To study the effect of organic fertilizers (10 t ha-1 of vermicompost, 20 t ha-1 of animal manure and without organic fertilizer (control)) and supplemental irrigation (one irrigation at 50% flowering stage, two irrigations at 50% flowering and 50% podding stages and no-irrigation (control)) on morphophysiological characteristics and grain filling components of forage pea, a factorial experiment arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications was carried out at the experimental farm of the Kora Sani Agricultural Services Center, Salmas County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran, in 2022. At the end of the podding stage, the number of leaves, leaf length, leaflet length, leaflet width, and number of sub-branches were recorded. At the end of the growing season, after removing the marginal bushes, one square meter was taken from each plot, and plant height, total dry weight, stem dry weight, leaf dry weight, and grain yield were measured. The following equations were used to determine crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), total dry matter (TDM), and leaf area index (LAI):
LAI= e(a+bt+ct2); GR= (b+2ct+3dt2) × e(a+bt+ct2+dt3); RGR= (b+2ct+3dt2); TDM= e(a+bt+ct2+dt3)
In these equations, a, b, c, and d are the coefficients of the equation, and t is the distance between sampling stages. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and mean comparisons were performed using SAS software (version 9.4). The main effects and interactions were evaluated using the least significant difference (LSD) test at the 0.05 probability level.
 
Results and discussion
Supplemental irrigation (one irrigation at 50% flowering stage and two irrigations at 50% flowering and podding stages) and the use of organic fertilizers (vermicompost and animal manure) improved the yield, morphological traits, and growth indices (TDM, LAI, RGR, and CGR) in forage pea. Using vermicompost and two irrigation at 50% flowering and podding stages resulted in the highest plant dry weight, plant height, number of leaves, and grain yield. The highest seed yield (876.8 kg ha-1 ) was achieved with two supplemental irrigations and vermicompost application, while the lowest (161.1 kg ha-1) was observed with no fertilizer application and no irrigation. Furthermore, under supplemental irrigation combined with vermicompost application, as well as under non-irrigation and animal manure application, the most pronounced effect was observed in increasing the LAI.
 
Conclusion
According to the findings of this study, applying two supplemental irrigations in combination with animal manure and vermicompost is recommended to improve yield, yield components, and growth indices. This management practice can mitigate the adverse effects of drought stress and enhance the growth and productivity of forage pea.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Environmental Stresses in Crop Sciences

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 20 October 2025

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  • Receive Date: 30 May 2024
  • Revise Date: 15 July 2024
  • Accept Date: 21 July 2024

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