PROJECT RESULTS

The Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on the Yield and Disease Stress of Beans

Applicant: 

Table of Contents:

• Background and Objectives
• Procedure and Project Activities
• Results and Discussion
• Conclusion

ARDI Project:

#00-365

Project Status:

Completed March, 2002

Background and Objectives:

1.  To assess the response of common dry bean types to nitrogen fertilization in large field plots.

2.  To assess the impact of nitrogen fertilization on disease development in dry beans.

Procedure and Project Activities:

Experimental Sites

Total of three sites. The producers/owners of the fields have agreed to cooperate with us. All sites were sampled, fertilized and seeded by May 25, 2000.

The three sites were:

• Site 1 Rosebank Colony row crop Cran 09, 59 kg N ha-1 spring soil test
• Site 2 Janzen farm, Morden solid seeded Lazer, 143 kg N ha-1 spring soil test
• Site 3 Orchard farm, Miami solid seeded Envoy, 49 kg N ha-1 spring soil test

Experimental Design

Large size plots (90 feet width by the length of the field, approximately 5 acres per plot). There will be five nitrogen rates, i.e. 0, 45, 90, 135 and 180 lb N/acre, replicated four times. The producers’ completed all "typical" management in terms of seeding and herbicide application.

Experiment Maintenance

Agriculture Canada staff will be carrying out disease assessment and any other visual observations and measurements, samplings as required. Further, Agriculture Canada staff will be obtaining soil samples and tissue samples at the appropriate growth stage (1/10 bloom stage).

Plot Harvesting

This will be carried out by Agriculture Canada with a plot combine.

Measurements Completed

1. Soil testing per seeding and fall after harvest.
2. Disease assessment 2 or 3 times during the growing period after flowering.
3. Plant tissue testing, mid season sample and seed sample after harvest.
4. Plants stand counts.
5. Maturity of crop at time of undercut.
6. Final crop yield.

Results and Discussion:

The study results are presented in Table 1 and Table 2. Yield sample by square meter sample increased at all sites by the application of 45 kg N ha^-1. Yield increased at Site 1 and 3 by application of an additional 45 kg N ha^-1. At Site 1, yield increased with each 45 kg N ha^-1 increment up to 180 kg N ha^-1. Field scale yield determinations were possible only at Site 1 and Site 3. Incremental yield increases as rate of nitrogen fertilizer increased were more striking with that weight wagon sample. The differences in yield increases with the weight wagon were most likely due to the increase in plant height as nitrogen fertilization rate increased. This would have made the crop easier to undercut at Site 3 and straight cut at Site 1. A weight wagon was not possible at Site 2 due to the producer undercutting at a 90° angle to the direction of the nitrogen fertilizer strips. Total yield followed similar trends to seed yield except that the increased were greater than the seed yield increases.

At all Sites, seed size and density were not impacted by increasing nitrogen rate. The protein content of the harvested seeds increased at each increment of nitrogen at all three sites. Seed protein was determined by both a composite sample and by 10 sub-samples per treatment. Both samples resulted in the same trends and the composite sample was found to adequately represent the treatments.

Fall soil nitrogen analysis indicate that at two of the three Sites, 90 kg N ha^-1 or less did not result in significant residual nitrogen levels and the levels were either in the same range as the spring soil test nitrogen level or lower than the spring soil test level. At Site 1, a significant accumulation of nitrogen appeared to occur. This may have more to do with past practice at this site than the treatments applied. Site 1 had had previous application of hog manure and in addition internal soil drainage was poor as the soil had a shallow water table and a hard pan at plough depth.

There was no impact of nitrogen treatment on crop stand. Site 1 was Cran 09, a large seeded variety. Site 2 was Lazer navy bean and Site 3 was Envoy navy bean. There was no delay in maturity at Site 1 or Site 2 due to nitrogen application. Nitrogen application resulted in a significant delay in maturity at Site 3, but this delay was only at most three days. At Site 3, the crop was straight cut after an application of a desiccant. The desiccant was effective at ensuring uniform harvest crop moisture.

White mould determinations were not recorded since there was insufficient white mould to differentiate between the treatments. Disease assessment for halo blight and common blight were completed at two or three dates. The first increment of nitrogen fertilizer resulted in an increase in blight compared to the no nitrogen control. As the rate of nitrogen application increased there was some reduction in blights.

Conclusion:

These results indicate that the application of nitrogen fertilizer to dry bean has the potential to increase plant yield and to increase plant harvestable due to increased plant height. Application of 45 kg N ha^-1 resulted in a yield increase in square meter samples of 5, 9 and 16% compared to the 0 N check. The weight wagon yields at Sites 1 and Site 3 resulted in a 13 and 41% yield increase compared to the 0 N check.

Publications:

McAndrew, D.W. and Mills, Keith. 2000. Nitrogen Fertilizer of Dry Bean in Manitoba. Proceedings. Third Pulse Crop Research Workshop, November 19-21, 2000, Greenwood Inn, Winnipeg, MB p.43-47.

Mills, Keith and McAndrew, Dave. 2000. Field scale nitrogen management for dry beans. Manitoba Agronomist's Conference 2000 Proceedings, Dec 12-13, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB. P. 60-63.

McAndrew, D.W. and Xue, A.G. 2001. Interaction between nitrogen fertilization, cultivar and fungicide on productivity and protein in dry beans. 2001 Bean Improvement Cooperative Proceedings.

Conference and Extension Presentations:

The results of this study have been used to acquire funding for two more years of research on a field scale to confirm the findings of this study and the small plot studies that were completed from 1996 to 1999. These results have also been the basic for changes to the soil fertility recommendation by the Manitoba Department of Agriculture and Food. The recommendations generally follow the findings of this study and encourage producers to not only rely on rhizobium inoculants.

Acknowledgement:

The author acknowledges the financial support of the Canada-Manitoba Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative (ARDI).

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