Tied ridging enhances soil water conservation and productivity of common bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i>)

Abstract

A field trial was conducted to determine the effects of different water conservation practices done in-situ on soil water content, stomatal conductance, and seed yield of common beans at Fumesua experimental station of the CSIR-Crops Research Institute in Ghana during the 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons. The water conservation practices implemented were tied ridges (TR), bunded basins (BB), and flat land (FL). Results showed that the TR treatment increased soil water content by 18 and 16% (0-5 cm), 12 and 13% (5-10 cm), and 18 and 7% (10-30 cm), compared with the FL treatment in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Across years, TR treatment increased stomatal conductance by 39 and 53% at both vegetative and flowering sampling periods. Soil water content and stomatal conductance also increased in the BB treatment compared to the FL treatment, but to a lesser extent than that of TR. The TR treatment improved seed yield by 31 and 42% over that of FL in 2020 and 2021, respectively. At a lesser magnitude, the BB treatment increased seed yield by 17 and 40% compared with the FL treatment during the same period. These results showed a positive relationship (p < 0.05) between the soil water content and common beans seed yield, such that an increase in soil water content determined about 75% of the increase in seed yield. Based on the results of this study, tied ridging could be considered a suitable water conservation strategy for improving common bean yield.