Effect on dwarf heans of water stress at different phases of growth

Abstract

Dwarf beans were grown in weighing lysimeters and subjected to water stress during five different phases of growth. Yield was reduced most by a period of water stress during flowering, but was also reduced by stress during both the early and late vegetative phases. A stress during early or late pod development had no effect on yield. Reduction in yield was mainly in the form of a smaller number of pods on each plant, but the number of seeds in each pod was also slightly less. Individual seed weight was little affected by water stress. © 1974 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.