Abstract
Home-saved bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seed can be hand-sorted to remove discoloured seed, thereby reducing the level of contamination by certain seed-borne fungi and improving seed germination. In this study, the effect of planting date on the infection and discolouration of bean seed by seed-borne fungi was investigated in order to improve the quality of hand-sorted, farm-retained bean seeds used by resource poor smallholder farmers. The germination quality and level of seed-borne fungi in hand-sorted first-generation bean seed harvested from an early-, mid- and late-summer season planted crop was therefore assessed. The highest percentage of discoloured seed (68%) was obtained from the mid-summer season planting. Non-discoloured seed from early- and late-season plantings had significantly (p<0.001) higher normal germination (82% and 77%, respectively) than that from the mid-season planting date (58%). Irrespective of planting date, unsorted seed and discoloured seed had higher levels of infection by Fusarium spp. and Phaeoisariopsis spp. than the non-discoloured seed. Removal of discoloured seed by hand sorting eliminated Rhizoctonia spp. from all seed lots. Farmers can eliminate this pathogen by simply removing discoloured seed. Non-discoloured seed from the early-planted crop had the lowest level of infection by Fusarium spp. and Phaeoisariopsis spp. The results indicate that planting date is an important consideration in improving the quality of hand-sorted farm-retained bean seed.
Highlights
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important grain legume for direct human consumption and it provides a cheap source of dietary proteins for poor people in several countries.[1,2] It is commonly consumed for its delicacy, high protein content and as a source of certain antioxidants, minerals and polyphenols.[3]
The highest percentage of discoloured seed was obtained from the mid-summer season planting (Table 1)
By proper choice of planting date and hand sorting alone, farmers may obtain bean seed which is nearly equal to certified seed in germination quality (80% or higher)
Summary
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important grain legume for direct human consumption and it provides a cheap source of dietary proteins for poor people in several countries.[1,2] It is commonly consumed for its delicacy, high protein content and as a source of certain antioxidants, minerals and polyphenols.[3]. This damage includes shrunken seeds, seed rot, seed discolouration and, above all, diseases in emerging seedlings that may kill a certain proportion of the seedlings.[8,9] These effects on seedlings lead to poor stands and reduced yield
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