Growth interactions of navy bean varieties with sowing date and season

Abstract

Summary. Five navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties were sown monthly from December to February at Kingaroy in 1991–94, plus a November planting in 1993 and 1994, to investigate how varietal differences may be affected by time of sowing. For grain yield there were seasonal interactions with both sowing date and variety, with maximums for a December sowing in 1991 and 1994 but a minimum in 1993 for November and December sowings due to infection with grey mould (Macrophomina spp.). Yields were least with the February sowing in 2 years and for mean yield over years. The early maturing varieties, Actolac and Pan 12, maximised yield with a January sowing, and the late varieties, Sirius, Rainbird and Spearfelt, with a December sowing. Time to flowering and maturity was greatest for November plantings, while minimum time to flowering and maturity was subject to marked interactions with varieties and season. Determinate varieties Rainbird, Spearfelt and Actolac were non-viny across sowing dates, while semi-determinate Sirius and Pan 12 were less viny with later sowing. Canopy height, pod height and lodging were affected by interactions amongst varieties, seasons and sowing dates, with lodging tending to increase with canopy height and yield gains. Pod height was correlated with canopy height and was greatest for varieties Sirius and Rainbird. Spearfelt consistently had low lodging. December–January sowing is recommended for Sirius, Rainbird and Spearfelt, and a January sowing is recommended for Actolac and Pan 12.