Emergence and early development of bean seedlings at different sowing depths

Abstract

Bean productivity in Brazil is low, even with improved cultivars with high potential yield. The factors affecting productivity include the inappropriate sowing depth that results in poor germination and emergence, adversely affecting the initial and final stand of plants in the field. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different sowing depths on the emergence and early development of bean cultivars of four trade groups. The factorial design 5x4 was used in the completely randomized experimental design with four replications, five sowing depths (1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 cm) and bean cultivars of four trade groups (Cavalo, Jalo, Carioca and Preto) was used. Seed deposition at 2 cm deep is the most suitable for the evaluated trade groups and deposition deeper than 2 cm adversely affects the emergence, emergence speed index and emergence speed coefficient, seedling height at 9 and 21 days after sowing, green and dry mass of the aerial part, green and dry mass of the root system.