Evaluation of some haricot bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars for growth characters and dry matter production

Abstract

Genetic factor is a key factor to realize optimum growth and dry matter production of crops in addition to environmental factors. Haricot beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar type is important for good agronomic performance for greater production of dry matter and grain yield. The present study was conducted with objectives to estimate the performance of haricot bean cultivars based on dry biomass and growth traits and to observe the impact of different growth stage on various growth characteristics of haricot bean cultivars. Three haricot bean cultivars were evaluated using RCB design with three replications at Hawassa University Agricultural College, Southern Ethiopia during off season from November 2016 up to January 2017. Collected data were specific leaf area ratio (SLA), leaf area ratio (LAR), net assimilation rate (NAR), relative growth rate (RGR), leaf area and above ground biomass. Dissimilarities have been observed in LAR, SLA, NAR and RGR among cultivars. But there was no significant difference observed among cultivars for total biomass. The LAR and SLA of all cultivars declined as crop development advanced. So, it is fair to say that these haricot bean varieties perform differently across their growing period. The NAR during early development was 41.3 mg/dm2/day as maximum value. Generally, the current field study elucidates the interdependence of some characters and the existence of difference among haricot bean cultivars for some growth characteristics indicating cultivar difference in morphological characters which may have influence on physiological characters.