Growth and yield of common bean grown under water deficit

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different levels of tension and water deficit on the growth and yield of common bean cultivated in Oxisol of clayey texture and Ultisol of medium texture. Two experiments were installed in factorial scheme of 2 x 4 with tension for the determination of field capacity on two levels (T1 = 0.010 MPa and T2 = 0.033 MPa) and soil water deficit (WD) on four levels (0; 20; 40 and 60% of the soil available water) in a completely randomized design with three replicates for each soil. Evaluation of growth and yield was held in phenological stage of crop R9 and the data were submitted to an analysis of variance (p ≤ 0.05). When significant results, the F Test (p ≤ 0,05) was used for the tension factor and regression analysis for the water deficit factor. The plants submitted to field capacity determined by the tension of 0.010 MPa presented higher swelling, growth and yield in both soils. The grain yield under WD = 60% was reduced on average of 39% and 36% in relation to the plants that didn't receive WD in Oxisol and Ultisol, respectively.