Effects of irrigation cut-off time in reproductive stages on yield and yield components of two bean cultivars in Mallard, Iran climate condition

To evaluate the effect of irrigation cut-off on yield and yield components of bean, an experiment was conducted in Mallard Research Farm, Tehran in 2015. This study was conducted in a split plot based on a completely randomized block design with four replications. The main treatments were full normal irrigation as control, irrigation cut-off in flowering and pod setting stages and two cultivars of bean including Kosha (pinto bean) and Akhtar (red bean) were placed in subplots. Irrigation cut-off had significant effect on both cultivars yield and yield components. Both cultivars were very sensitive to irrigation cut-off in the flowering stage than pod-setting stage. Yield of Kosha cultivar was the highest in full irrigation treatment. However, the lowest yields loss was obtained in irrigation cut-off in Akhtar cultivar. When irrigation was cut off at flowering stage, the yield loss was 54 and 63% in Akhtar and Kosha cultivars, respectively. Also, the harvest index in flowering stage irrigation cut-off in Akhtar and Kosha cultivar was reduced by 25 and 38%, respectively. In general, Akhtar cultivar was more tolerant to water cut-off and showed less yield loss in comparison to Kosha cultivar. Akhtar cultivar seems to have the potential to be planted in the areas where water deficit is more acute in summer.