Effect of sowing techniques and seed pesticide application on dry bean yield and harvest components

Common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L., is widely cropped by small farmers in the northwest of Spain. The emergence and establishment of common beans are affected by insects, soil fungi and crust formation. The objective of this study was to determine if seed pesticide application and sowing techniques improve bean yield. This work was carried out during 1998 and 1999 in the province of León, Spain. A split-split-plot design with three replications was used. The main plot was bean cultivar (“Riñón de León” and “Canela”), the subplot was the application system of pesticides (untreated, treatment on seed before sowing and treatment on seed during sowing) and the sub-subplot was the sowing technique (sowing in raised beds, sowing on the flat without adding substrate, sowing on the flat adding sawdust and sowing on the flat adding vermiculite). The plant population density at harvest and yield was improved by pesticide application and by addition of substrate in the seed row. Yield increase was caused by a higher plant population density at harvest. The sowing techniques had a greater influence on plant population density at harvest and bean yield than the pesticide treatment carried out for its protection. Seed pesticide application improved number of pods per plant and 1000-seed weight.