RAINFALL PATTERN AND SEED YIELD OF DRY BEAN IN THE SEMIARID HIGHLANDS OF MEXICO

摘要

One of the main limiting factors affecting grain yield of dry beans in the semiarid highlands of Mexico is the uneven distribution patterns and the scarcity of rainfall. This region includes the states of Chihuahua, Durango, Zacatecas and Aguascalientes, where are planted annually 1.2 million hectares under rainfed conditions. The average amount of precipitation during the growing season (June-October) ranges from 250 to 400 mm. It is common that from this total amount of rainfall, a high percentage(>60%) occurs during the vegetative period, while during the reproductive period dry bean crop may be subjected to water stress. Thus, grain yield of dry bean may be reduced drastically. A strategy to face this problem is by using dry bean varieties adapted to this condition. It has been showed that early genotypes may have an advantage over late genotypes under this environment, since the formers may escape drought and reduce production risks. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between rainfall distribution patterns and grain yield of dry beans