Evaluation of determinate and indeterminate pinto bean cultivars under an available soil moisture gradient

Determinate dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars are preferred under irrigation in western Canada. Expansion of dry bean production into dryland areas in western Canada requires re-evaluation of the best growth habit. The objective of this study was to compare determinate and indeterminate pinto bean cultivars for seed yield and other agronomic traits under a soil moisture gradient. Six pinto bean cultivars, three determinate and three indeterminate, were grown under an available soil moisture gradient in Saskatoon SK, Canada at one environment in 1993 and at two environments in 1994. An increase in available soil moisture, induced by growing rows of pinto bean plants at increasing distances from a spring-seeded winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) strip, increased number of pods per plant, plant height, seed weight, seed yield and seed nitrogen concentration for both determinate and indeterminate cultivars of pinto bean. Indeterminate cultivars, however, were taller and higher yielding than determinate cultivars at every level of soil moisture under these dryland conditions. Key words: Phaseolus vulgaris, dry bean, pinto bean, soil moisture, drought stress