EFFECTS OF INTER ROW SPACING ON GROWTH, YIELD COMPONENTS AND YIELD OF COMMON BEAN (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) VARIETIES IN ANCHAR DISTRICT, WEST HARARGHE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The common bean is becoming an important pulse crop in Ethiopia due to its use as a source of food security and income generated. However, crop management practices that combine high yielding varieties with inter- row spacing are lacking in Anchar district. Thus, a field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of interrow spacing on Growth, yield components and yield of common bean varieties. The study carried out during the 2022 cropping season at Dindin in the Anchar District, eastern Ethiopia. Treatments consisted of factorial combinations of three common bean varieties (Awash-2, Nasir and Seri-125) and four inter-row spacing (30, 35, 40 and 45 cm) laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The main effects of the varieties were highly significant (P < 0.01) on day to 50% flowering, physiological maturity, leaf area, leaf area index, plant height, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, number of seed per pod, 100 seed weight, grain yield and above-ground dry biomass. The Seri-125 variety gave the day with the highest day to 50% flowering (42.17), physiological maturity (91 day), leaf area (963.8 cm2), plant height (56.7), number of branches per plant (4.1), number of pods per plant (16.98), number of seeds per pod (5.15), 100 seed weight (29 g), grain yield (3203 kg ha-1) and above ground dry biomass (7308 kg ha-1). Varieties had significantly (P < 0.05) affected the harvest index. The highest harvest indexes (47) were recorded from Awash-2. The 45 cm interrow spacing resulted in the highest leaf area (1188.6 cm2), leaf area index (4.4), number of branches per plant (4.1), number of pods per plant (17.26), number of seeds per pod (5.15) and 100 seed weight (28.5 g), while the 30 cm spacing produced the highest dry biomass above ground (6338 kg/ha). The interactions of the varieties with the spacing between rows showed a significant (P < 0.01) effect on the height of the plant and a highly significant (P < 0.05) effect on grain yield and harvest index. The tallest plant (56 cm) and highest seed yield (3203 kgh-1) were recorded from variety Seri-125 at 30 cm and 40 cm respectively. From the results of this study it can preliminary be concluded that the highest yield recorded from Seri-125 variety at 40 cm spacing, while Awash-2 and Nasir varieties at 30 and 35 cm spacing respectively. However, since this result is for one season and location; the study has to be repeated over locations and seasons to reach a more reliable conclusion and recommendation for the Anchar District