Testing the Effects of Moisture on Seedcoat Color of Pinto Dry Beans

Authors

Muharrem Ergun, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Ellen T. Paparozzi, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Dermot P. Coyne, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Durward Smith, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Stephen D. Kachman, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
David S. Nuland, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

ORCID IDs

Stephen D. Kachman

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2001

Citation

HORTSCIENCE 36(2):302–304. 2001

Comments

Copyright 2001 American Society for Horticultural Science. Used by Permission.

Abstract

Seedcoat color is an important trait, as it affects marketing and consumer acceptance of pinto beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Pinto breeding line NE 94-4 showed seedcoat yellowing in on-farm field trials in Nebraska in 1996 and 1997. Hail, sprinkler irrigation, and fall rainfall appeared to be involved in increasing seedcoat yellowing, based on analysis of field and weather data of on-farm trial sites. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of moisture on seedcoat yellowing of pinto line NE 94-4 (susceptible) and pinto ‘UI-114’ (highly resistant). Two greenhouse experiments were conducted involving misting of bean plants near maturity and injecting water into maturing bean pods. Another experiment evaluated the response of seeds of these two bean entries to moisture by placing them on moist filter paper in petri dishes in the laboratory. Results showed that both genotype and moisture content are involved in seedcoat yellowing. This simple, cheap, and effective filter paper test was then used to evaluate seedcoat yellowing of nine pinto genotypes in response to moisture. Pinto NE 94-4 and ‘Kodiak’ showed the greatest change, while ‘Bill Z’ showed the least change, in seedcoat color.