Yield components of haricot beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) depending on cultivation technology elements at the irrigated lands of the Steppe zone

Abstract

Phaseolus vulgaris (haricot beans) is one of the most important pulse crops with high nutritive and strategic value. The goal of our study was to define changes in morphological elements playing the crucial role in crop productivity, namely, in the yield components (number of the pods and seeds per plant) depending on the cultivation technology treatments. We studied effects of moldboard plowing depth, mineral fertilizers application doses and inter-row spacing on the above-mentioned haricot beans yield components in conditions of the Steppe zone in field trials. The trials were carried out at the irrigated lands represented by the dark-chestnut solonets soil, in four replications by using the split plot design method with partial randomization during the period of 2014–2016. The data obtained in the trials were processed by using ANOVA and correlation analysis. Results of the study showed significant increase in the number of pods and seeds per plant of haricot beans with decrease of inter-row spacing width and higher mineral fertilizers application doses. Depth of plowing had no significant effect on the number of pods, and slightly effected the number of seeds per plant of haricot beans. The maximum number of pods (17.2) and seeds (71.7) per plant of the crop was provided by the agrotechnical complex with moldboard plowing at the depth of 28–30 cm, mineral fertilizers application dose of N90P90, and inter-row spacing of 15 cm.