Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T10:41:47.276Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effects of plant population density on spring-sown field beans (Vicia faba) with different growth habits

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

C. J. Pilbeam
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, School of Agriculture, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
G. Duc
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, School of Agriculture, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
P. D. Hebblethwaite
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, School of Agriculture, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK

Summary

Determinate varieties of Vicia faba are smaller and may require higher plant population densities than their conventional indeterminate counterparts to attain high yields. This hypothesis was examined at the University of Nottingham farm at Sutton Bonington, UK, and at INRA, Dijon, France in 1986 and 1987. The determinate varieties Ticol and TP667 and indeterminate M5.1 and Maris Bead were sown in the spring to give a range of densities of 10–100 plants/m2.

Yields generally increased as population density increased. The optimum density for determinate varieties was higher than for indeterminate varieties. Indeterminate varieties yielded more than determinate varieties at all plant densities, perhaps because of their larger canopy. Seed yields were affected by year and location. Greater yields were associated with heavier seeds and more seeds per pod.

Although several yield components, when expressed per unit area, were significantly correlated with seed yield, their coefficients of determination were never very large. This confirmed the plasticity of yield in field beans.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Adams, M. W. (1967). Basis of yield component compensation in crop plants with reference to the field bean Phaseolus vulgaris. Crop Science 7, 505510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, D. A., Chapman, G. P., Standish, M. J. & Bailey, M. P. (1984). Growth habit in relation to assimilate partioning and some consequences for field bean breeding. In Vicia faba: Agronomy, Physiology and Breeding (Eds Hebblethwaite, P. D., Dawkins, T. C. K., Heath, M. C. & Lockwood, G.), pp. 23–28. The Hague: Martinus Nijhof.Google Scholar
Barry, P. & Storey, T. S. (1979). Influence of some cultural practices on the yield, development and quality of field beans (Vicia faba L.). Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 18, 7788.Google Scholar
Bleasdale, J. K. A. (1966 a). Plant growth and crop yield. Annals of Applied Biology 57, 173182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bleasdale, J. K. A. (1966 b). The effects of plant spacing on the yield of bulb onions (Allium cepa L.) grown from seed. Journal of Horticultural Science 41, 145153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bleasdale, J. K. A. (1987). The relationhip between the weight of a plant part and the total weight as affected by plant density. Journal of Horticultural Science 42, 5158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caballero, R. (1987). The effects of plant population and row width on seed yield and yield components in field beans. Research and Development in Agriculture 4, 147150.Google Scholar
Fery, J. L. & Janick, J. (1971). Response of corn (Zea mays L.) to population pressure. Crop Science 11, 220224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gallagher, J. N., Biscoe, P. V. & Scott, R. K. (1975). Barley and its environment. V. Stability of grain weight. Journal of Applied Ecology 12, 319336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graf, R. J. & Rowland, G. G. (1987). Effect of plant density on yield and components of yield of faba bean. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 67, 110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Green, C. F., Hebblethwaite, P. D. & Ison, D. A. (1985). A quantitative analysis of varietal and moisture status effects on the growth of Vicia faba in relation to radiation absorption. Annals of Applied Biology 106, 143155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Green, C. F., Hebblethwaite, P. D. & Ricketts, H. E. (1986). The practice of irrigating faba beans. Fabis 15, 2631.Google Scholar
Harper, J. L. (1977). Population Biology of Plants. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Hebblethwaite, P. D., Hawtin, G. C. & Lutman, P. J. W. (1983). The husbandry of establishment and maintenance. In The Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.). (Ed. Hebblethwaite, P. D.), pp. 271312. London: Butterworths.Google Scholar
Hodgson, G. L. & Blackman, G. E. (1956). An analysis of the influence of plant density on the growth of Vicia faba. I. The influence of density on the pattern of development. Journal of Experimental Botany 7, 147165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holliday, R. (1960). Plant population and crop yield. Part I. Field Crop Abstracts 13, 159167.Google Scholar
Ingram, J. & Hebblethwaite, P. D. (1976). Optimum economic seedrates in spring and autumn sown field beans. Agricultural Progress 51, 2732.Google Scholar
Ishag, H. M. (1973). Physiology of seed yield in field beans (Vicia faba L.). I. Yield and yield components. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 80, 181189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kambal, A. E. (1969). Components of yield in field beans, Vicia faba L. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 72, 359363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kondra, Z. P. (1975). Effects of row spacing, seeding rate and date of seeding on faba beans. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 55, 211214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marcellos, H. & Constable, G. A. (1986). Effects of plant density and sowing date on grain yield of faba beans (Viciafaba L.) in northern New South Wales. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 26, 493496.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McEwen, J. (1970). Fertilizer nitrogen and growth regulators for field beans (Vicia faba L.). II. The effects of large dressings of fertilizer nitrogen, single and split applications and growth regulators. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 74, 6772.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oliphant, J. M. (1973). Comparison of two types of spring beans (Vicia faba) at two row widths and three seed rates with chemical or mechanical weed control. Experimental Husbandry 25, 6271.Google Scholar
Pandey, R. K. (1981). Growth, dry matter and seed yield of faba beans (Vicia faba) as influenced by planting density. Fabis 3, 3738.Google Scholar
Seitzer, J. F. & Evans, L. E. (1973). Response of small faba beans to seed rate and spacing. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 53, 279283.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sjödin, J. (1971). Induced morphological variation in Vicia faba L. Hereditas 67, 155180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, R. & Taylor, H. (1977). Yield components and cultivar, sowing date and density in field beans (Vicia faba). Annals of Applied Biology 86, 313320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Westermann, D. T. & Crothers, S. E. (1977). Plant population effects on the seed yield components of beans. Crop Science 17, 493496.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yassin, T. E. (1973 a). Analysis of yield stability in field beans (Vicia faba L.). Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 80, 119124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yassin, T. E. (1973 b). Genotypic and phenotypic variances and correlations in field beans (Viciafaba L.). Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 81, 445448.CrossRefGoogle Scholar