An analysis of the seasonal variation in the dry seed yields of eleven cultivars of Phaseolus vulgaris

In field trials at eight sites throughout the UK the mean thermal time requirement for navy beans from sowing to harvest for a standard cultivar, Marcus, was 2069 Ontario Heat Units (OHU). Low level plastic covers increased the range of warm environments at one site and gave a mean thermal time required of 2098 OHU.Analysis of daily air temperatures from six weather stations throughout the UK over a 29 year period, showed a 14 day possible planting period on the south coast of England, but gave a high probability of crop failure in Scotland.Maps of England and Wales indicating the probability of achieving 2000 OHU were produced from 5 km grid point temperatures. Less than 2% of the land had more than a 60% chance of receiving 2000 OHU under the present climate, however this area increased to 70% with a mean temperature rise of 1.5 "C.Although 2000 OHU is often used as the thermal time requirement of navy beans, these trials showed that it may be more accurate to use the higher figure of 2087 OHU from sowing to harvest, and restrict the use of 2000 OHU to the period between emergence and harvest. When the map was redrawn using 2087 OHU and current climate, no parts of England and Wales showed a reasonable chance of growing the present cultivars of navy beans.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal time assessment of suitable areas for navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) production in the UK

Dodd

1991

The effect of Rhizobium inoculation and nitrogen fertiliser on nitrogen fixation and seed yield of dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Taylor¹,

Day

Dudley³

1983

SUMMARYThe potential benefit to be derived from seed inoculation of Phaseolus vulgaris beans with effective strains of Rhizobium phaseoli, was investigated in field experiments over three years on a site low in soil nitrogen and lacking indigenous effective strains of R. phaseoli.Inoculation with R. phaseoli (strain RCR 3644) produced significant increases in nodulation, nitrogenase activity and plant growth in all experiments. In trials in 1978 and 1979, with cv. Seafarer, inoculation, in the absence of nitrogen fertiliser doubled seed yields. In 1978, the seed yields from inoculated beans without nitrogen fertiliser (1–6 t/ha) were not significantly different from those obtained with uninoculated beans receiving the optimum nitrogen fertiliser treatment of 120 kg N/ha (1–75 t/ha). In 1979, with lower rainfall favouring more efficient utilisation of nitrogen fertiliser, inoculation gave seed yields (1–88 t/ha) equivalent to those obtained with 60 kg N/ha (1–70 t/ha) but significantly less than with 120 kg N/ha (2–88 t/ha). More precise estimates from nitrogen response curves showed that inoculation supplied the fertiliser equivalent of 105 and 70 kg N/ha in 1978 and 1979 respectively. In both years, significant benefits were also obtained by the combination of inoculation and nitrogen fertiliser.In a separate experiment in 1979, with four R. phaseoli strains inoculated onto eight bean cultivars, three were highly effective nitrogen fixers on all cultivars. Two strains (RCR 3644 and NVRS 963A) each increased mean yields, in the absence of nitrogen fertiliser, from 1–39 t/ha uninoculated to c. 2–5 t/ha inoculated whilst strain RCR 3622 was outstanding with a mean yield of 3‐0 t/ha. An analysis of the nitrogen content of seed showed that gains from nitrogen fixation were 37–57 kg N/ha/growing cycle for the combination RCR 3644 with cv. Seafarer. However, 106 kg N/ha/growing cycle was recorded for the combination RCR 3622 and cv. Aurora.

Review of recent research on navy beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) in the United Kingdom

Hardwick¹

1988

Self Cite

SUMMARY Navy beans are the raw material for ‘baked beans’. Since the 1960's a number of workers have attempted to introduce the crop to the United Kingdom. The paper reviews the results of research to date. In favoured areas of the United Kingdom yields of 300 g seed/m2 may be expected in small‐plot trials. The optimum plant spacing is between 20 and 30 plants/m2 and dressings of about 150 kg/ha of N fertiliser are required for maximal yield. The nitrogen fertiliser may be dispensed with, at the cost of a small reduction in yield, if the seed is inoculated with an elite strain of Rhizobium phaseoli. In the United Kingdom the potential diseases of the crop include halo‐blight (Pseudomonas syringae pV. phaseolicola), bean common mosaic virus, and anthracnose (Colletotrichum lindemuthianum). Genetic sources of resistance have been identified, and they are incorporated in some of the UK‐bred material. It seems likely that the varieties with improved adaptation and disease resistance that are now available from the UK work will be useful to farmers in continental Europe. For the UK itself, some improvements in cold‐tolerance and yield stability may still be required. The paper concludes with a discussion of the lessons to be learned from the project.