Common bean is the second most important crop in Mexico with near 2 million hectares cultivated each year. However, almost 65% of the total area planted with dry beans is cultivated under rainfed conditions, where precipitation is limited (300 to 350mm) during crop cycle. Thus, this crop is generally subjected to drought stress, which in turn affect grain yield. The evaluation of dry bean genotypes under soil water limited conditions is essential to select those materials showing good adaptation. There are different plant indicators of the crop performance under drought, although some of them need specialized laboratory equipment. In the present study, total biomass, harvest index, the assimilation rate to grain yield and their relationships were used as indicators of the dry bean performance under rainfed conditions in the semiarid highlands of Mexico.
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