Soil Acidity and Liming Effects on Stand, Nodulation, and Yield of Common Bean
1990
Buerkert, A. | Cassman, K. G. | de la Piedra, R. | Munns, D. N.
The area planted to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) has been declining in the Southern Mexican State of Chiapas. To determine factors limiting bean productivity in this region, on-farm experiments were conducted at four locations. Soils were Acrisols (Ustults) at two sites and a Cambisol (Tropept) and Phaeozem (Ustoll) at the other two sites, with pH (H₂O) of unlimed soil from 4.6 to 5.0. Insecticide application, genotype, and lime were treatments in a split-plot design with a factorial combination of two genotypes and 0 or 2000 kg Ca(OH)₂ ha⁻¹ as subplots. Across sites, lime addition raised soil pH by 0.4 to 1.3 units, decreased Al saturation by 13 to 38%, and increased extractable Ca two-to three-fold. Mean yield without lime was 444 kg ha⁻¹ ha. Insecticide and bean genotype had negligible effects on yield. Lime application resulted in a yield increase of 76 to 313% above unlimed controls across locations. Liming resulted in 40% greater shoot and 18% greater root dry weight, and also improved nodule weight per plant by 110% at early flowering. At maturity, plant density in limed treatments was 23% higher than in unlimed controls, and counts made during the season indicated that soil acidity factors inhibit seedling establishment. Liming also increased pod number per plant by 67%, seed number per pod by 18%, and seed weight by 7%. Increased yield from lime therefore resulted from better stand establishment, and increased seed yield per plant. Increased nodulation and N₂ fixation may also contribute to the response to lime.
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