EFFECT OF SEED STORAGE IN AMBIENT CONDITIONS ANDPLANT POPULATION ON SEED QUALITY,YIELD AND YIELDRELATED COMPONENTS OF COMMON BEAN(Phaseolus vulgarisL.)VARIETIES AT HARAMAYA, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is produced in eastern Hararghe both under sole crop and intercrop systems mainly from farm save seeds. Limited information is available on the effect of seed storage period and plant population on yield, yield related traits and seed quality of the crop. Therefore, this study was conducted at Haramaya University research field to assess the effect of duration of seed storage at ambient condition and plant population on the seed quality, yield and yield related traits of common bean. The treatments were arranged in factorial combination of three improved varieties (Haramaya, Dursitu and Fadis), three storage periods (9, 33 and 45 months) and three plant population (320000, 180000 and 115200 ha-1) and laid out in RCBD with three replications in 2017. The seed quality test in the laboratory was conducted to evaluate the seed samples of varieties stored for different months and seeds produced from these in completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications. Thepre-planting seed test results revealed that duration of storage had significant effect on all seed quality parameters except fresh ungerminated seeds while the varieties had significant differences forall seed quality parameters except seed moisture content, normal and abnormal seedlings, hard, fresh ungerminated and dead seeds. Duration of seed storage and variety interacted significantly for thousand seed weight, seedling shoot length, seedling fresh weight and seedling vigor indexI. All yield, yield related traits and seed quality parameters were significantly influenced by variety except abnormal seedlings and fresh ungerminated seeds. Duration of seed storage had significant effect on all yield, yield related traits and seed quality parameters except seedling shoot length, speed of germination, seedling fresh and dry weight, vigor index I, abnormal seedlings, hard and fresh ungerminated seeds.Plant population had significant effect on growth traits and yield, seedling shoot length, dead seeds, seedling vigor index I and II. Moreover, one or more of the possible two factors and three factors interactions significantly influenced two or more of yield, yield related traits and seed quality parameters except days to 50% emergence and 90% maturity, speed of germination,vigor index I, abnormal seedlings, hard and fresh ungerminated seeds. Haramaya variety produced from nine month stored seeds at 180000 (10 x 40 cm)and same variety produced from 45 months stored seeds at 115200(12.5 x 40 cm) plant population produced significantly highest yield of 5068 and 4343 kgha-1, respectively, but the seed quality of Haramaya was exceeded by Fadis variety. All seed quality parameters except seedling shoot length, thousand seeds weight and proportion of hard seeds during germination had positive and significant correlation with grain yield. Generally, the research findings suggested the importance of using seeds stored for short period of time, optimum plant population and high yielding variety to increase the productivity of the crop in the study area