Effect of Mineral, Nano NPK and Chitosan on Growth Characteristics and Biomass of Two Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Varieties in Wadi Atba, Libya

Abstract

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a critical leguminous crop that plays a vital role in food security; however, it is productivity under semi-arid conditions is limited because of low nutrient use efficiency. In the 2024/2025 growing season, a field experiment was conducted in Wadi Atba, southern Libya, to evaluate the effect of mineral ,nano NPK fertilizer and chitosan on the growth and biomass production of two types of faba bean (local and imported).

The experiment was arranged in a factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD)  with three replications and seven fertilization treatments: control, mineral NPK(NPK min), nano NPK (NPK Nps), chitosan, 50% nano NPK + 50% mineral NPK, mineral NPK + chitosan, and nano NPK + chitosan.

The results revealed that fertilization treatments and their interactions with cultivar had a significant impact on all the variables studied. The combined application of nano NPK and chitosan consistently recorded the highest values in terms of plant height, number of leaves , leaf area, fresh and dry biomass, biological yield and straw yield in both varieties with the imported cultivar showing higher performance compared to the local one. Followed by a 50% nanoNPK+ 50% mineral NPK.

The findings show that nano fertilizers when used together with chitosan enhances nutrient use efficiency, vegetative growth and biomass productivity of faba bean in semi-arid conditions. This approach represents a promising and sustainable strategy for reducing reliance on the conventional mineral fertilizers and improving crop productivity.