Deficit irrigation at different growth stages of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., cv. Imbabello)

Abstract

To identify specific growth stages of the common bean crop at which the plant is less sensitive to water stress, in which irrigation could be omitted without significant decrease hi final yield, two field experiments were conducted at "La Tola" University Experimental Station, Tumbaco, Pichincha, Ecuador, on a sandy loam soil (Typic Haplustoll). The climate is tempered and dry (mean air temperature 16°C and mean relative humidity 74%, during the cropping season) 123 and 109 mm of rainfall were recorded during the experimental cropping periods (July to October), of 1992 and 1994, respectively. The treatments consisted of combinations of 7 irrigation regimes including normal watering; full stress; (traditional management practice); single stress at vegetative stage; flowering; seed formation and ripening, and of 2 levels of applied N (20 and 80 kg/ha). These 14 treatment combinations were arranged and analysed in a split-plot design with 4 replications. The plot size was 33.6 m² (8 rows, 7 m long) with a plant population of 120,000 pl/ha. Irrigation treatments were started after uniform germination and crop establishment Soil water content was monitored with a neutron probe down to 0.50 m depth, before and 24 h after each irrigation. The actual evapotranspiration of the crop was estimated by the water-balance technique. Field water efficiency and crop water use efficiency were calculated. Yield data showed that the treatments which had irrigation deficit had lower yield than those that had supplementary irrigation. The flowering stage was the most sensitive to water stress. Nitrogen fertilization significantly increased the number of pods and gram yield. Crop water use efficiency (kg/m³) was the lowest with stress at the flowering period, and the yield response factor (Ky) was higher hi treatments of full stress and stress at flowering. In relation to the traditional management practice adopted by farmers, only treatments of normal watering and stress at maturation had 13 and 10% higher crop water use efficiency, respectively.

Integrated effects of abiotic stresses on inoculant performance, legume growth and symbiotic dependence estimated by 15N dilution

“…Sangakkara et al (1996b) also found that the symbiotic dependence of single cultivars of common bean and fababean grown in pots was not affected by water stress imposed until flowering, which occurred at 27 and 38 days after sowing (DAS), respectively, but legume DM and fixed N were significantly reduced by drought. Calvache and Reichardt (1996) studied the effect of drought stress on BNF at different stages of development of one cultivar of common bean grown under irrigation in the field in Ecuador. Calvache et al (1997) provided details of the stress treatments that were imposed (Table 4).…”

“…Calvache and Reichardt (1996) studied the effect of drought stress on BNF at different stages of development of one cultivar of common bean grown under irrigation in the field in Ecuador. Calvache et al (1997) provided details of the stress treatments that were imposed (Table 4). A single stress applied during early vegetative growth had no significant effect on symbiotic performance (Table 4).…”

Effect of temporary drought at different growth stages on snap bean pod quality and yield

“…Drought reduces the number of flowers, pod setting and leaf area in bean by 51, 63 and 60%, respectively (Barrios et al, 2005). Flowering and post-flowering are the most sensitive growth stages to drought in common bean (Calvache et al, 1997;Manjeru et al, 2007). Gunton and Evenson (1980) demonstrated that drought stress during pre-flowering and flowering stages reduces seed yield by 28 and 24%, respectively, and lowers seed quality of common bean.…”

Irrigation Water Management in Latin America

“…FAO (2000) reported many cases where DI was a beneficial impact on water savings. In SA, deficit irrigation techniques has been investigated for olives (Sellés et al, 2006), grapevine (Ferreyra et al, 2003), Chilean tomato (Maldonado et al, 2003) in Chile; maize (Bergamaschi et al, 2006), sugarcane , irrigated coffee (Fernandes et al, 2000), sorghum (Peiter and Carlesso, 1996), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) (Calvache et al, 1997;Guimarães et al, 2006), garlic (Macêdo et al, 2006), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) (Andrade Júnior et al, 2001) in Brazil; quinoa in Bolivia (Geerts et al, 2006); sugar cane in Argentina (Romero et al, 2006).…”