Evaluating Soil Acidity Stress‐Tolerant Soybean ( <i>Glycine max</i> L. Merr.) Cultivars Under Varying Phosphorus Fertilizer Rates and Lime Treatments in the Bedele District, Southwestern Ethiopia

Soil acidity and low phosphorus availability are major constraints to soybean productivity in South‐western Ethiopia. To address these issues, a field experiment was conducted during the 2019 Meher cropping season in Bedele district to evaluate the performance of two soybean cultivars, Clark 63k and Cocker 240, under varying phosphorus fertilizer levels (0, 23, 46, and 69 kg·ha −1 ) and lime application rates (0 and 4 t·ha −1 ) in acidic soil condition. The study used a factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Significant interactions among cultivars, phosphorus, and lime treatments were observed, affecting growth, yield, and yield components. Clark 63k demonstrated superior tolerance to acidic soils as it had the lowest SASI value (−0.03), highest soil acidity tolerance index (1.67), enhanced mean productivity (3.22), and minimal relative yield reduction percentage (−0.31). This resilience enabled Clark 63 k to achieve the highest grain yield (3224.83 kg·ha −1 ) in combination with 69 kg·P·ha −1 under acidic soil conditions. On the other hand, the combination of Clark 63 k 46 kg·P·ha −1 × 4 t·ha −1 lime produced the maximum yield (3321.64 kg·ha −1 ), effectively reclaiming soil acidity. Moreover, most of the parameters, except plant height were significantly influenced by the combined treatments, highlight the agronomic benefits and yield advantage of integrating phosphorus and lime applications, especially for Clark 63 k, to enhance soybean productivity in acidic soils. However, to confirm these results and to develop comprehensive recommendations, multilocation trials across various locations and seasons are necessary to establish more concrete findings.