Five lines of dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were selected for differences in protein content and were used as parents in crosses. The F1, F2, and F3 mean crude protein contents were generally between the parents, but slightly closer to the low‐protein parent. Reciprocal differences in protein of F1 seeds and its absence in F2 seeds showed that the maternal genotype controlled seed protein content.Broad‐sense heritability estimates ranged from 30.7% to 63.7%. The narrow‐sense heritability estimates were 20.1% for backcrosses and 5.0% and 12% based on F3/F2 regression. These low values indicate high environmental influence on crude protein content and relatively low additive genetic variance.Yield and crude protein percentage were generally negatively correlated in F2 and F3 plants from crosses between low and high percent crude protein bean lines. Seed yield and protein yield were highly correlated. The highest total seed protein was produced by plants average or below average in percent crude protein. In breeding for total protein production per unit area, progress appears more likely if efforts are directed toward increased seed yield while maintaining percent crude protein near average levels rather than by selecting for high protein in the seeds alone.Generally, high‐yielding segregates tended to be relatively low in protein percentage. Among F2 and F3 progenies, however, there were plants that were high in seed yield and had above‐average percent crude protein.

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Two years of field research were conducted to determine the additive effects of weed cover and insects on pepper production. When weeds covered less than 10% of test plots, the natural insect populations reduced the marketable fruit yield of bell peppers 32% in 1983 and 22% in 1984. When weeds covered 72 or 94% of the test plots, foliage damage due to insects was from 5.8 to 12.1%, respectively. The high percent weed cover and insects reduced yield 99%. The average fresh weight of pepper foliage approached zero as weed cover approached maximum. Foliar levels of iron and aluminum were reduced greatly in peppers grown in competition with a 100% weed cover. The level of boron, copper, phosphorus, and potassium in pepper foliage increased as percent weed cover increased.

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