Influence of Biochar and Inorganic Fertilizer on Soil Properties, Growth, Yield and Quality Parameters of French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Abstract

French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important legume vegetable crop; the integrated use of biochar with inorganic fertilisers may improve soil properties, nutrient availability and nutrient-use efficiency. Therefore, evaluating this approach is important for achieving sustainable and productive French bean cultivation in the Inceptisols of the Kanpur region. A field experiment was conducted at the Student's Instructional Farm, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, during the Rabi season of 2025-26 to evaluate the effect of graded levels of biochar and fertiliser on the growth, yield-attributing characters and yield of French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cv. Arka Komal grown on a sandy loam Inceptisol. The experiment comprised eight distinct treatment combinations (T1 to T8) evaluated in a randomised block design with three replications. The treatments incorporated varying levels of the recommended dose of fertiliser (RDF), namely 100%, 75%, and 50% RDF, together with biochar application rates of 1, 1.5, and 2 t ha-1. Growth, yield-attributing characters and yield were significantly influenced by treatment: T₄ (100% RDF + biochar @ 2.0 t ha⁻¹) recorded the maximum plant height of 14.50 cm at 30 days after sowing (DAS) and 45.12 cm at 60 DAS. Furthermore, the highest pod length (12.34 cm), number of pods plant-1 (32.42), seed index (42.12 g), seed yield (16.85 q ha-1), straw yield (27.68 q ha-1) and biological yield (44.53 q ha-1) were recorded under treatment T4, representing a substantial seed yield increase of approximately 31.03% over the control treatment (T8: 50% RDF + Biochar @ 2.0 t ha-1). Harvest index (35.42–37.84%) did not differ significantly among treatments. Combining the full recommended fertiliser dose with biochar @ 2.0 t ha⁻¹ was an effective option for improving French bean productivity on the alluvial Inceptisols of the Central Plain Zone of Uttar Pradesh.