Abstract
<p class="Style">Production of common bean (<em>Phaseolus vulgaris</em> L.) is often limited by the low soil fertility (LF). Identification of common bean genotypes adapted to LF may be a feasible strategy to overcome the poor plant growth and production in NP-deficient soils. Eight bean genotypes samples/derived from International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and three local common bean cultivars were evaluated in low soil fertility (LF) and recommended fertilizers (RF) at three locations representing high (Mashwarah), medium (Shaban) and low (Al-Qaidah) rainy seasons at Southern Highland Region (SHR), Ibb, Yemen in 2011, 2012 and 2013 following a completely randomized block design, arranged as split plot with either (LF) or (RF) as the main plots and the genotypes as sub plots. Three replications were used. The LF plots was absolute control, it did not receive any fertilizer (LF) and in (RF) plots, it received only 34.5 kg N and 92 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> kg. The common bean genotypes varied in phenotypic, nutrient efficiency traits and low fertility tolerant indices. The genotypes G2381B, MIB-156, BFB-140, BFB-141 performed favorably under both (RF and LF) environments. These genotypes were associated with higher values of pod number/plant, seed number/plant and 100 seed weight and leaf area, root nodules mass, shoot mass and root mass, shoot mass, physiological, nutrients and recovery efficiency and geometric mean percent (GMP), mean percent (MP) and susceptible tolerant index (STI) and low values of agronomy efficiency, percent of reduction (PR), low fertility susceptible index (LFSI) and tolerant (TOL). The results also showed that high and significant positive correlation of low fertility yield (LFY) and recommended fertility yield (RFY) with seed number/plant and 100 seed weight, NP recovery and use efficiency, geometric mean percent (GMP), mean percent (MP) and susceptible tolerant index (STI) under LF or RF. These correlations indicates that direction selection for yield under LF or RF would result into improved LF tolerant genotypes. Using phenotypic, nutrient efficiency traits, low fertility tolerant indices and stability indices criteria, only G2381B, MIB-156, BFB-140, BFB-143 and BFB-144 showed high average of yields, with <em>b</em>-value of 1.00 and a very low standard deviation (s<sup>2</sup>d) approaching zero, low ecovalence value (W) and highly significant coefficient of determination (r<sup>2</sup>). However, the regression coefficients indicating stability (<em>b</em>’s) and residuals were highly correlated with slopes (r = 0.943; P &lt; 0.001) and coefficient of determination (r = 0.711; P &lt; 0.001) and equivalent value (r = 0.809; P &lt; 0.001), respectively. Thus the data collected from three locations x three years can be used to select low fertility tolerant (or ‘stable’) genotypes. Such low fertility tolerant genotypes would be better suited for poor farmers in the SHR-Ibb and other similar production regions in Yemen.</p>
Highlights
Low soil nitrogen and phosphorous is a widespread constraint to common bean production on tropical and sub-tropical soils in Yemen, mostly in soils that have been over cultivated with pH above 7.4
The results showed that high and significant positive correlation of low fertility yield (LFY) and recommended fertility yield (RFY) with seed number/plant and 100 seed weight, NP recovery and use efficiency, geometric mean percent (GMP), mean percent (MP) and susceptible tolerant index (STI) under low soil fertility (LF) or recommended fertilizers (RF)
We can categorized genotypes into four groups; the first group were uniform superiority in both (RF and LF) conditions, these genotypes were G2381B, MIB-156, BFB-140, BFB-141 and we can consider them as LF tolerant genotypes; the second group were the genotypes that perform favorably only in LF-stressed environments, these genotypes were BFB-142, BFB-143, BFB-144; the third group were perform poorly in LF condition and those genotypes were almost the local cultivars (Taiz-304, Taiz-305 and Taiz-306) and we can consider them as LF susceptible genotypes
Summary
Low soil nitrogen and phosphorous is a widespread constraint to common bean production on tropical and sub-tropical soils in Yemen, mostly in soils that have been over cultivated with pH above 7.4. The general symptoms of mineral deficiency or toxicity of common bean may include poor emergence; slow growth; seedling and adult plant stunting; leaf yellowing; www.ccsenet.org/jas. Root growth may be adversely affected (Cumming et al, 1992; Fawole et al, 1982) These symptoms may vary with the type, severity, and duration of mineral stress. To overcome mineral deficiencies and toxicities, common bean growers must use corrective soil amendments such as lime (Fageria et al, 1995; Westermann, 1992), manure or composted manure (Tarkalson et al, 1998), and fertilizers rich in macro- and micronutrients such as N, P, B, Fe and/or Zn (Henson & Bliss, 1991). Identification and use of cultivars tolerant to mineral deficiencies and/or toxicities are essential for reducing production costs and dependence of farmers on soil amendment inputs
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