Soil solarization enhances growth and yield in dry beans

Abstract

Dry beans are one of the most important crops in Mexico. However, in the last decade this crop averaged yields as low as 0.7 tons per hectare. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to test if soil solarization is a suitable pre-planting soil treatment to improve growth, nutrition and yield of beans in northeast Mexico. Five different periods of soil solarization were evaluated during the spring of 2008: 0, 30, 40, 50 and 60 days of soil solarization. Soil temperatures were recorded during soil solarization to estimate total heat units. After soil solarization bean seeds were sown in plastic-mulched rows and leaf area, potassium, calcium and magnesium concentration and yield were measured. Leaf area and concentrations of potassium, calcium and magnesium were increased by all treatments of soil solarization when compared with the non-solarized soil. Sixty days of soil solarization produced yields of 3.7 tons per hectare while no solarization produced yields of 2.1 tons per hectare. Soil heat units were positively correlated with yield, suggesting that the increase in yield is due to an increase in heat accumulation during soil solarization in addition to an increase of leaf area and to an enhancement of plant nutrition.