Resumen

AYALA GARAY, Oscar Javier et al. Yield and seed quality of ayocote bean at the Valley of Mexico. Agric. Téc. Méx [online]. 2006, vol.32, n.3, pp.313-321. ISSN 0568-2517.

In the conservation and propagation of runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.), the seed is a basic element. In this study, the seed yield and seed quality of nine runner bean cultivars were evaluated in two planting dates 1) May 2^nd and 2) June 17^th, 2003) at Montecillo, State of Mexico, Mexico. Seed physiological quality was evaluated by the accelerated aging test at 42 °C and high relative humidity for 120 h. Seed vigor was determined by the velocity of seed emergence in sand, the percentage of emergence and the dry weight of 10 seedlings. Seed yield from the first planting date (529 g plant^-1) was significantly higher than the yield from the second date (334 g plant^-1), this was also true for the seed physical quality with a hectoliter weight of 75 and 73 kg hL^-1 and 100-seed weight with 123 and 110 g, respectively. On the contrary, the parameters related to seed physiological quality were higher in the second planting date in relation to the first, whose percent of emergency were 84 and 62%, and 2.81 and 2.15 for the number of seedlings emerged d^-1 and 3.7 and 3.1 g for the average dry weight of 10 seedlings, respectively. Higher yields and seed physical quality were obtained in the first planting date, while high seed physiological quality was observed in the second. This last result was due to the fact that the seed produced in the second date had less exposure to the environmental conditions after maturation. Early sowing dates and harvesting as soon as maturity is reached is necesary to obtain seeds of high quality and vigor.

Palabras llave : Phaseolus coccineus L; seed physical quality; seed physiological quality; vigor.