The critical period for weed competition in French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Mediterranean areas

Field experiments were carried out in 2004 and repeated in 2005 and 2006 in central Italy to determine the effect of competition from a natural weed flora on growth and yield of French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Two treatments were applied; weeds were either allowed to infest the crop or plots were kept weed free for an increasing duration of time (0, 7, 21, 28, 35, 45 days) after crop emergence. To assess the critical period of weed competition (CPWC) and the influence of weed infestation on yield, the Gompertz and logistic equations were fitted to data which represented the increasing duration of weed-free and weed-infested periods, respectively. During the three years of the experiment weeds, allowed to interfere for the whole growing season, reduced fresh pods yields up to 60%, 65% and 59% of the weed-free bean plots. Based upon an arbitrary yield loss (AYL) of 5%, the CPWC was from 50 Growing Degree Days (GDD) to 284 GDD, i.e. from 11 days after emergence (DAE) to 28 DAE. These values correspond to the lowest and highest values observed in the three experiments respectively for the weed-infested and weed-free period.

Research highlights►There is a linear decreasing trend between the number of pods per plant of French bean and the duration of weed competition from annual weeds ►In Mediterranean areas, keeping the French bean crop weed-free between 50 and 284 GDD (11 and 29 DAE) avoid higher yield losses than 5% ►After the 284 GDD (29 DAE) the competition of weeds will not significantly impact on French bean yield.