EFFECT OF STORAGE DURATION ON SEED QUALITY, YIELD AND YIELD RELATED TRAITS OF COMMON BEAN (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) VARIETIES AT MELKASSA, CENTRAL RIFT VALLEY OF ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Ethiopia is produced mainly from farm saved seeds stored for more than a year. However, the effect of storage duration on seed quality and yield of the crop is not quantified in the Central Rift Valley area. This research was therefore carried out to determine the effects of storage duration on seed quality, yield and yield related traits, and estimate the association of seed quality traits to yield and yield related traits of common bean varieties. Seed samples of four common bean varieties (Awash-1, Awash-2, Awash Mitin and Nasir) stored at ambient temperature at the same store for 10, 22 and 34 months were obtained from Melkasa Agriculture Research Center. The pre- sowing seed quality was determined in 3 x 4 in factorial combinations in completely randomized design with four replications while the field experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design with four replications. The results of pre-sowing seed quality test revealed that all seed quality parameters significantly reduced as seed storage duration increased from 10 months onwards although the magnitude of reduction varied among varieties. Seed storage duration, variety and their interaction had significant effect on all yield and yield related traits except for days to flowering, days to emergence, maturity, plant height, and hundred seed weight. The variety Awash-2 seeds stored for 10 months produced a signficantly highest grain yield of 2768.8 kg ha-1 and the same variety exhibited lower yield by 764.5 (38.16%) and 676.5 kg ha-1 (32.35%) from seeds stored for 34 and 22 months, respectively. The grain yields of Nasir, Awash Mitin, and Awash-1 varieties were higher by 46.66, 28.97 and 34.24% for seeds stored for 10 months compared to that of seeds stored for 34 months, respectively. Mean of quality parameters from pre-sowing seed test had negative and significant correlations with days to emergence and maturity except with abnormal seedlings (%) and dead seed (%). The research findings suggested that the seeds of the varieties should be stored based on the knowledge of common bean varieties resilient to storage durations