No-tillage Snap Bean Growth in Wheat Stubble of Varied Height

Abstract

Abstract Bush-type snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were seeded by a no-tillage method into standing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) stubble of 8, 15, 23, 30, and 38 cm in height to evaluate the effects of stubble height on pod mechanical harvest efficiency, plant morphology, and shoot component yield. Basal internode elongation, stem plus leaf yields, pod yields, efficiency of mechanical pod harvest (MH), and height of basal pod set were related in a positive linear or curvilinear fashion to wheat stubble height. Quantity of pods missed during MH was related negatively to height of basal pod set. Harvest efficiency was maximized with 15-30-cm stubble heights, and these notillage systems yielded MH pod levels that equaled or exceeded those of a conventional tillage (plow, disk 2 times) system. Superior MH efficiency was attributed to increased basal internode length and mechanical support of the shoots by the wheat stubble.