Preliminary Trials of Six Red Bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Cultivars on an Ultisol in Jamaica

Abstract

Field trials were conducted to evaluate the performance of six cultivars of red beans (Phaseotus vulgaris L.) viz. Miss Kelly, Tom Red, ICA Duva, ICA Guali, California Light Red and 27-R on a newly terraced Ultisol in Jamaica. Seed yields varied from 1182 kg/ha for Miss Kelly to 528 kg/ha for ICA Guali. The most productive cultivars, Miss Kelly, Tom Red and ICA Duva, produced yields of 1182, 1023 and 934 kg/ha, respectively. Miss Kelly and Tom Red performed significantly better than California Light Red, 27-R and ICA Guali. Cultivar 27-R had significantly more pods/plant, whereas Miss Kelly had significantly more seeds/ pod than all other varieties. Nodulation scores did not differ significantly among cultivars.