Effect of Micronutrients on Growth and Yield of Pinto Bean under Irrigation– cutback Treatments

Abstract

To study the effect of micronutrients and irrigation cutback at different development stages on vegetative characteristics and yield of pinto bean (Talash cultivar), an experiment was carried out at Agricultural Research Station of Khoy in 2009. This experiment was performed as strip split plots based on randomized complete blocks design with 3 replications. Treatments included irrigation as the main factor at 3 levels (conventional irrigation (control), irrigation cutback at podding stage, irrigation cutback at seed-filling stage), and application of micronutrients (boron, zinc and manganese) as sub factor at 4 levels (soil treatment, one foliar application, two foliar applications, and control (no micronutrients application)). According to the results, irrigation levels had significant effects on height of the first branch above the ground, stem diameter, seed yield, biological yield and protein content of the seeds. By irrigation cutback at podding and seed-filling stages, the seed yield decreased from 2647 kg/ha to 1269 and 1920 kg/ha, respectively. Micronutrients treatments had also significant effects on number of branches per plant, height of the first branch above the ground, stem diameter, seed yield, biological yield and protein percent. The highest seed yield (2379 kg/ha) was in two foliar applications, which was 893 kg/ha more than control (no micronutrients application). The highest protien content (26.8%) belonged to irrigation at control level and two foliar applications of micronutrients. The general result of this research shows that due to high sensitivity of pinto bean to water deficiency, irrigation at conventional level with two foliar applications of micronutrients is recommendable to improve its growth.

Keywords

• Growth traits
• Micronutrients
• Protein
• Biological yield.