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Growth, Yield and Nodule Activity of Phaseolus vulgaris L. as Affected by Soil Moisture
Author(s) -
Sangakkara U. R.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of agronomy and crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.095
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-037X
pISSN - 0931-2250
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-037x.1994.tb00159.x
Subject(s) - agronomy , moisture stress , water content , phaseolus , moisture , legume , field experiment , field capacity , biology , environmental science , irrigation , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering
A study evaluated the response of two varieties of beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to different soil moisture levels during a dry season. The soil moisture regimes maintained throughout the growth period were field capacity, 70–75 %, 50–55 % or 20–25 % available soil moisture. Plant growth, yield and nodulation were optimal when plants grew at high soil moisture levels. With increasing stress, all measured parameters of both varieties were reduced. However, polebeans, with its vine type of growth was affected to a greater degree than bushbeans. In contrast, nodulation and nodule activity of both variables was affected by moisture stress. A second experiment evaluated the effects of different soil moisture levels over the growth cycle of bushbeans, which produce greater yields under drier conditions. The highest yields were obtained at higher moisture levels throughout the growth cycle. Moisture stress up to flowering reduced yields to a greater extent than when the plants were subjected to reduced soil moisture after flowering appearance. Some casual mechanisms of the results of the experiments and possible implications for incorporating this popular vegetable legume in rainfed agricultural systems are presented.