Effect of Plant Density on Yield Components and Yield of Faba Bean (Vicia Faba L.) Varieties at Wolaita Sodo, Southern Ethiopia

Faba bean is one of the most popular pulse crops with manifold merits in the economy of the farming communities in the highlands and semi-highlands of Ethiopia. On the other hand, crop yield is functions of different growth and management factors of which optimum plant density is one of the paramount important. Basically, optimum plant density varies with genotypes, ecology, time of planting, production objective, cultural practices, water availability, and nutrients status of the soil. In this context, a field experiment was conducted during 2016 main cropping season at Wolaita Sodo Agricultural Technical Vocational Education and Training College farm in southern Ethiopia with objective of evaluating the effect of plant densities on performance of faba bean varieties. Treatments consisted in three faba bean varieties (Hachalu, Moti and Tumisa) and six level of plant densities (166,666, 222,222, 250,000, 333,333, 500,000 and 666,666 plants/ha) were combined in factorial and laid out in a randomized complete design (RCBD) with three replications. The longest days to flowering and physiological maturity were recorded for variety Tumisa at plant density of 166 666 plant/ha and both parameters were shortest for variety Moti at plant density of 666 666 plants/ha. The tallest plant height was obtained from the highest plant density and the shortest plants from the lowest plant density. The highest number of pods per plant, seeds per pod and HSW were recorded at plant density of 166 666 plants/ha and all parameters were lowest at the highest plant density. Grain yield increased for all varieties with increasing plant densities up to 250 000 plants/ha and then declined for further increase in plant density above it with the highest grain yield was recorded for variety Tumisa at plant density of 250 000 plants/ha followed by variety Moti at the same plant density. This finding revealed that all the varieties had the highest grain yield at plant density of 250 000 plants/ha where the variety Tumisa out yielded and followed by variety Moti. Varieties Tumisa and Moti at plant density 250 000 or 222 222 plants/ha could the best options for faba bean production. Keywords: faba bean, grain yield, yield components, density, varieties DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/9-5-07 Publication date:March 31st 201