Effect of water stress induced by PEG 6000 on <i>in vitro</i> germination of <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L. cv. ‘ICA Pijao’ seeds

Abstract

The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production has been very important in Cuba, however, several factors affect the yield of this crop and not all cultivars of beans respond the same way to the stressful conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of water deficit induced by PEG 6000 on the cultivar ‘ICA Pijao’. The results showed that increasing concentrations of PEG 6000, reduced the percentage of P. vulgaris cv. ‘ICA Pijao’ in vitro germination, it confirmed that this stressor agent could be useful to elucidate the physiological response and PEG 6000 concentration to be used in bioassays to evaluate the plant response in this cultivar should be less than 18%. Key words: common beans, drought, in vitro selection