Abstract

ACOSTA DIAZ, Efraín; ACOSTA GALLEGOS, Jorge Alberto; AMADOR RAMIREZ, Mario Domingo  and  PADILLA RAMIREZ, José Saúl. Relationship between the leaf area index and yield of dry bean grown under rainfed conditions. Agric. Téc. Méx [online]. 2008, vol.34, n.1, pp.13-20. ISSN 0568-2517.

The leaves of the bean plant are one of the organs more affected by intermittent drought stress. The objective of this research was to determine the relationship between the leaf area index and seed yield at four phenological stages in dry bean cultivars of different grain type grown under rainfed conditions. The study was conducted in the main three producing areas in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico, during the summer of 2002 at six locations: four in the northwestern area, sown with a cv. Negro San Luis type; one in the central region, with a cv. of the Flor de Junio type and one in the southeastern region, with a cv. of the Flor de Mayo type. In each location, eight fields were chosen and in each two rows of 5 m longitude with four replications. Four leaf area index samplings were made at four phenological stages: at the beginning of flowering, beginning of pod formation, beginning seed filling, and intermediate seed filling. Seed yield was determined at physiological maturity. The relationship between the leaf area index at different stages and seed yield was determined by simple correlations. In general, average leaf area index increased with the development of the phenological stages, the highest values were observed at the beginning of the seed filling stage. Average seed yield varied among locations: 130 g m^-2 at the northwestern region with cv. Negro San Luis type, 139 g m^-2 at central with cv. Flor de Junio type and 95 g m^-2 at southwestern with cv. Flor de Mayo type.

Keywords : Phaseolus vulgaris L.; growth habit type III plant; yield potential; leaf area index.

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