Performance of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under different sowing dates in sub-mountainous area of Punjab

A field experiment was conducted at Regional Research Station (Punjab Agricultural University) Gurdaspur and Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Pathankot during the spring season of 2016, to determine the performance of kidney bean genotypes at different sowing dates under sub-mountainous conditions of Punjab. The two kidney bean genotypes i.e. red and speckled were evaluated for yield potential at two locations by adopting different sowing dates viz., 20^th January, 1^st February, 10^th February and 20^th February, 2016. The treatments were laid out in split plot design with four replications by keeping sowing dates in main plots and genotypes in sub plots. Among different dates of sowing, crop sown on 10^th February showed superiority than other dates through higher emergence count per meter row length, plant height, branches per plant, pods per plant, seeds per pod, length of pod, biological yield and seed yield. The seed yield in February 10 sown crop was 66.4, 33.3 and 21.7 per cent higher than February 20, January 10 and February 1 sown crop, respectively at Gurdaspur. Similarly, at Pathankot, the percent increase in seed yield in February 10 sown crop was 36.0 and 7.2 per cent as compared to February 20 and February 1 sown crop, respectively. The kidney bean genotype speckled produced significantly higher yield attributes (seeds per pod, length of pod and 100 seed weight) and seed yield at both Gurdaspur and Pathankot (935.1 and 823.1 kg per ha, respectively) as compared to red genotype. Therefore, it can be concluded that to attain higher productivity of kidney beans, the speckled genotype couldbe used for cultivation by adoptingFebruary 10 asthe optimum time of sowing in the sub-mountainous area of Punjab.