Effect of Terminal Heat Stress on Performance of Five Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Genotypes Grown Under Semi-arid Conditions of Sudan

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of five faba bean (Vicia faba L.) genotypes under end-of-season heat stress in the Demonstration Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Shambat-Sudan. Two sowing dates were used; namely, optimum sowing date (15 November) and late sowing date (15 December) to induce heat stress at the end of the season. A split plot design with three replicates was used to lay out the experiment. Terminal heat stress (late sowing) reduced the number of pods/plant, number of seeds/pod and 100-seed weight by 26%, whereas the reduction in seed yield/plant and seed yield/ha was 46%. Under terminal heat stress, the genotype Hudeiba/93 gave the highest yield (2090.0 kg/ha) and the genotype Shabah gave the lowest yield (1198.8 kg/ha). The yield/ha for the genotypes under the optimum sowing was 3023.2 kg and 2987.2 kg, respectively. Under the optimum sowing date, the genotype Basabier gave the highest yield/ha (4053.5 kg/ha) whereas the genotype Ed-Damar gave the lowest yield (2768.7 kg/ha). The genotype × sowing date interaction showed significant differences for yield/ha. It is concluded that, although the genotypes showed great variability for the effect of end-season heat, any delay in faba bean sowing date will significantly reduce yield, irrespective of the genotypes used.