DRY MATTER PRODUCTION AND LEAF ELEMENTAL CONCENTRATIONS OF COMMON BEAN GROWN ON AN ACID ULTISOL

Abstract

Tolerance to soil aluminum (Al) differs greatly among grain legume species. However, there is insufficient information on the response of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to Al stress under field conditions. A 2-yr field study was conducted to determine the effects of various levels of soil Al on dry matter production and mineral concentration in the leaves of five genotypes of common beans. Increasing the concentration of soil Al caused a significant decline in total, stem, pod, and grain dry weights in all genotypes. Increasing soil Al concentration from 0.68 cmol kg−1 to just 2.5 cmol kg−1 reduced the total dry weight of all genotypes between 25% and 31%. Increments in soil Al resulted in a significant reduction in leaf phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) and an increase nitrogen (N), iron (Fe), and Al. Leaf potassium (K) and zinc (Zn) increased up to a soil Al concentration of about 8 cmol kg−1 and then declined sharply. The results of this study demonstrate genotypic differences for dry matter production in both dry beans and snap beans grown under Al stress. However, these differences may be of little practical value under the field conditions normally encountered in the humid tropics where the amounts of soil Al cause large reductions in yields.