Biomass and yield of snap bean in monocropping and inter-cropping with sunflower.

The aim of this study was the estimation of biomass production, yield and yield components of two cultivars (‘Acerado’ and ‘Criollo’) of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) with high potential for the snap bean production, monocropped and intercropped with two cultivars of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) (‘Sunbright’ and ‘Victoria’). The study was done during the spring of 2006 under rainfed conditions in Tenancingo, Mexico. The variables evaluated were leaf area index (LAI), net assimilation rate (NAR), total biomass (TB), pod diameter (PD), pod length (PL), number of pods·m-2 (NP) and pod yield·m-2 (PY), which were analyzed in a randomized complete block factorial arrangement. In order to consider the degree of association between the studied variables and pod yield, an analysis of simple linear correlation was made. In cultivar factor, statistical differences were detected in NAR and PD; for the sowing systems factor there were significant differences in TB, PD, NP and PY. The interaction of cultivars * sowing system was significant in all the variables, except in NAR. The associations ‘Criollo’ + ‘Sunbright’, ‘Acerado’ + ‘Victoria’, and monocropped ‘Acerado’ had the highest PY. The variables LAI, TB and NP were correlated positively and significantly with the pod yield. The results indicate that ‘Criollo’ and ‘Acerado’, associated with