Effect of Wire Supports on Pod Yield of Winged Beans (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC

Abstract

An experiment with winged beans (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) (DC.) was conducted in a Torres clay (Plinthic Palehumults) to evaluate the performance of WB 21-8 and WB 10-3, and the effect of using wire supports on growth and development, fresh pod yield and tuber production. Without wire supports, there were no differences between cultivars either in growth and development or in fresh pod yields. There was, however, a highly significant difference between cultivars when both were grown with wire supports. A significant difference between yields of plants with and without wire supports within cultivar WB 21-8 was evident, while no differences were recorded for cultivar WB 1 10-3. The interaction of cultivars and use of wire supports was significant. Fresh pod yields were consistently low for both cultivars when supports were omitted, probably due to pod rot as result of the high soil humidity during pod growth. A field-wide average of 5.7 t/ha was obtained from only three harvests. There were no significant differences in protein content between treatments. A mean protein content (dry weight basis) of 20% was recorded. Tuber samples (irrespective of cultivar) had a mean protein content of 10%.