Improving the Performance of Pea Plant Grown on Salt Affected Soil under Drip Irrigation

The current agricultural strategy of the Egyptian state, focused on reclaiming degraded soils, including salt-affected areas in the Delta region, underscores the need for maximizing productivity, particularly in the case of strategic crops like peas. So, a field experiment was conducted during two consecutive seasons (2023/24 and 2024/25) using a split-plot experimental design aiming to improve pea production under salt-affected soil conditions through organic fertilization [control (without), farmyard manure, poultry manure and vermicompost], which was considered as the main factor. Additionally, cobalt foliar spraying was implemented at different levels (0, 5, 10, 15 mgL-1) as a sub-main factor. Various parameters, such as plant height, fresh and dry weights, chlorophyll (a, b), carotene, chemical constituents (N,P,K), yield metrics and quality (e.g., No. of pods, pod length, weight of pods, early and total green pods yield, protein, total sugars, TDS, and vitamin C), were assessed. The results indicated that poultry manure emerged as the most effective organic treatment, followed by vermicompost, farmyard manure and lastly, the control treatment. Additionally, the values of growth, yield, and quality traits increased with higher cobalt rates. Generally, optimal growth performance, yield, and quality traits were observed in pea plants fertilized with poultry manure, combined with cobalt at a rate of 15 mg L-1.Therefore, this study recommends the adoption of poultry manure and cobalt supplementation as a combined approach to enhance pea production, contributing to the sustainable utilization of salt-affected soils in the Delta region and supporting the broader agricultural goals of the Egyptian state.