Analysis of line x environment interactions for yield in navy beans. 3. Pattern analysis of environments over years

Yield trials of navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) lines were grown over a diverse range of locations for 7 years in Queensland, with changes in entries and locations in each year. The yield data were analysed over years using 3 recently developed pattern analysis techniques for the integration of historical, severely unbalanced data from plant breeding programs to derive relationships among environments in the way they discriminate among the entries grown in them. These techniques have been named as cumulative analysis, sequential analysis, and status analysis. The relationships among the locations for testing navy bean lines, although sensitive to the addition of new locations, quickly stabilised. These relationships were related to management (irrigation and row width) and latitude (north v. central v. Kingaroy v. southern Queensland)

Chinese adzuki bean germplasm: 1. Evaluation of agronomic traits

A core collection of adzuki beans, representing the germplasm of Chinese land races, was screened at Warwick Australia in a replicated yield trial sown mid-summer. Grain yield, yield components, phenologic traits, vegetative characteristics, and morphologic descriptors were recorded for all accessions plus Japanese-derived check varieties. Accessions from southern China were later flowering, had smaller seed, and grew taller than those from central China. Grain yield was greatest for accessions from central China, whereas both north Chinese and Japanese check accessions were generally low yielding. The evaluation of diversity displayed trends associated with latitude of germplasm origin, which were positive or negative according to the trait. Similarly, the germplasm diversity in duration of crop growth phases and in rate of yield expression was also associated with latitude of landrace origin. Localised variations from these trends were found for seed size and for number of pods per plant. Various trends with latitude of origin were found for natural incidence of powdery mildew, for growth habit, plant height, vining and leaf colour. However, traits not associated with latitude of germplasm origin included primary and secondary seed colour, mature pod colour, and degree of branching. The evaluation suggests that selections from this greater range of genetic diversity may allow higher yielding varieties than the current Japanese-derived standards to be developed for Australia

Evaluation of genotypes of navy and culinary bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) selected for superior growth and nitrogen fixation

Levels of nitrogen fixation by navy and culinary beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Australia are low and contribute little to the N economies of the crops. As a consequence, they must be grown in highly fertile soils or fertilised with N to obtain economic yields. Eliminating the need for fertiliser nitrogen would save growers A$1 million annually. Following a 10-year program in which almost 1500 genotypes of P. vulgaris were screened for superior nodulation and nitrogen fixation, we conducted experiments at the Southedge Research Station, Mareeba, during 1995–97 to identify elite genotype(s), which could either be released as cultivar(s) or used as donor parent(s) in a breeding program. Selection criteria were plant biomass, nitrogen fixation activity assessed using the ureide method and grain yield. The best-performing genotypes were ICA20667 and ICA21573. They produced about 20% more shoot biomass than the commercial check cultivars, Spearfelt, Gallaroy and Rainbird, and had Pfix (percentage of plant nitrogen derived from nitrogen fixation) values that were consistently about 30% higher. However, both genotypes responded strongly to fertiliser nitrogen (>200% increase in shoot nitrogen and >100% increase in grain yield at rate of 150 kg nitrogen/ha), suggesting that their nitrogen fixation capacity was inadequate. This study reinforced current recommendations that commercial crops of P. vulgaris be fertilised with nitrogen and indicated a low likelihood of release of high nitrogen-fixing cultivars to growers in the immediate future

Growth interactions of navy bean varieties with sowing date and season

Five navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties were sown monthly from December to February at Kingaroy in 1991–94, plus a November planting in 1993 and 1994, to investigate how varietal differences may be affected by time of sowing. For grain yield there were seasonal interactions with both sowing date and variety, with maximums for a December sowing in 1991 and 1994 but a minimum in 1993 for November and December sowings due to infection with grey mould (Macrophomina spp.). Yields were least with the February sowing in 2 years and for mean yield over years. The early maturing varieties, Actolac and Pan 12, maximised yield with a January sowing, and the late varieties, Sirius, Rainbird and Spearfelt, with a December sowing. Time to flowering and maturity was greatest for November plantings, while minimum time to flowering and maturity was subject to marked interactions with varieties and season. Determinate varieties Rainbird, Spearfelt and Actolac were non-viny across sowing dates, while semi-determinate Sirius and Pan 12 were less viny with later sowing. Canopy height, pod height and lodging were affected by interactions amongst varieties, seasons and sowing dates, with lodging tending to increase with canopy height and yield gains. Pod height was correlated with canopy height and was greatest for varieties Sirius and Rainbird. Spearfelt consistently had low lodging. December–January sowing is recommended for Sirius, Rainbird and Spearfelt, and a January sowing is recommended for Actolac and Pan 12

Resistance to common bacterial blight in selected accessions of Phaseolus species

Nine P. accessions showed consistent reactions to common bacterial blight (Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli) in 2 field trials and 1 greenhouse test

Evaluation of Phaseolus vulgaris germplasm; screening for resistance to common blight

Initial screening against Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli revealed 9 accessions with promising levels of field resistance. Effectiveness of mass selection in the germplasm was estimated at 42.8%. A supplementary study with an F2 population suggested a broad sense heritability of 62%