Plant Population Effects on the Seed Yield Components of Beans

Westermann, D.T. and Crothers, S.E. (1977) Plant Population Effects on the Seed Yield Components of Beans. Crop Science. 17:493-496.

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Abstract

Knowledge of the effect of plant populations on the
seed yield components of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
is needed to design management systems utilizing the
genetic potential of different cultivars and to aid in the
development of higher seed-yielding cultivars. The objectives
of this study were to evaluate (a) the effect of
different plant populations (area/plant) on the seed yield
components as related to seed yield/plant, and (b) the
relative differences between determinate ('Canyon', and
'Blue Lakes 274') and indeterminate ('UI-114', and 'Big
Bend') bean cultivars. Seed yield/plant and the seed yield
components were measured on plant populations from
107,600 to 968,700 plants/ha (100 to 930 cm²/plant) grown
in a systematic design. Data were evaluated by path coefficient
analysis based on correlations calculated from
logarithmically transformed data. Pods/plants increased
linearly as area/plant increased (decreasing plant population)
for all cultivars studied, and had the largest effect
on seed yield/plant. Seeds/pod and g/seed also
increased as area/plant increased for the indeterminate
cultivars, but remained relatively constant for the determinate
cultivars. As a result, the seed yield/area is
relatively constant over a wide range of plant populations
for the indeterminate cultivars, but decreases at the smaller
plant populations for the determinate cultivars. It
also indicates that the determinate cultivar is subject to
less competitive stress than the indeterminate one at the
higher plant populations. The greatest potential for seed
yield increases in high plant populations is with determinate
cultivars.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	0377
Subjects:	Irrigated crops > Bean / dry bean Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User:	Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:51
Last Modified:	06 Feb 2017 23:24
Item ID:	320
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/320