Management of soil surface roughness and plant density affecting harvest losses of common bean cultivars

Abstract

The management of soil surface roughness, sowing density, and cultivar characteristics can impact productivity and grain losses in common bean harvests. This study aimed to determine the effect of soil rolling immediately after planting and seeding density on grain yield and harvest losses of two common bean cultivars. A field experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with a 4×2×2 factorial scheme and four replications. The treatments consisted of combining four plant densities (6, 9, 12, and 15 plants per meter) with two soil rolling conditions (with and without a soil roller) and two common bean cultivars (BRS FC 414 and BRS FC 415). The results showed that BRS FC 414 plants had higher internodes, a greater insertion angle of the first internode, larger hypocotyl diameter, greater pod height, and lower harvest losses compared to BRS FC 415. However, soil rolling had no effect on reducing harvest losses. Increasing plant density resulted in a reduction in the height of the tallest pods, a decrease in the percentage of pods in the upper third, and an increase in the percentage of shorter pods, ultimately leading to greater harvest losses.