BEDDING, PLANT-POPULATION, AND SPRAY - ON MULCH TESTED TO INCREASE DRY BEAN YIELD

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of bed type (si ngle or parallel raised bed vs, nonbedded); plant density (1991: appro ximate to 148,300 or 269,500 plants/ha; 1993: approximate to 48,300, 2 69,500, or 432,400 plants/ha); and use of blacker white degradable mul ch vs, nontreated soil on total and marketable yields and number of ma rketable seed per kilogram (seed count) of 'Fleetwood', an erect bush, white-seeded navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L,), Spray-on mulch degrad ed before canopy closure, but a residue was present at harvest. In 199 1, treatments did not affect yield or seed count. In 1993, bedding did not affect yield over nonbedded seedbeds, Black spray-on mulch increa sed marketable yield over plants grown with white spray-on mulch, Tota l and marketable yields were significantly higher at 269,500 than at 1 48,300 plants/ha, Bed type and plant density did not affect seed count , but seed count increased with black spray-on mulch. Dry beans should not be grown on beds under soil conditions such as those in our exper iment, White spray-on mulch had no beneficial effect, but using black mulch needs additional evaluation,Planting at 269,500 plants/ha likely will yield approximate to 2 Mg seeds/ha in most years.